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FRflnCISCflR 

LIBRARY 

OF 

CERAMICS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

NCSU  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/homesofamericawiOOIamb 


T  11  E 


^ 


Homes  of  America 


WITH    0^'E  HUNDRED    AND    THREE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


EDITED   BY 

MRS.   MARTHA   J.   LAMB, 

AITTHOR    OF    THE     "'  HISTOET    OF    THE    CITY    OF    NEW    YORK. 


'  Each  man's  chimney  is  lii»  Golden  Mile-stone  ; 
Is  the  central  point,  from  which  he  measures 

Every  distance 
Through  the  gateways  of  the  world  around  him." 

Longfellow. 


NEW     Y  O  K  K  : 

D.      APPLETON      AND      COMPANY, 

5  4  9    AND     551     BROADWAY. 


COPVBKIIIT    BT 

n.   AI'PLKTON    AND   COMPANY, 

ISTii. 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Official  Home  of  the  President        ....         Frontisjnecc. 

C  O  L  ()  N  I  A  L     P  E  R  I  O  D . 

Initia-l  :— Van  Cortlaiult  House— McCurdy  Mansion— 01<l   Schuyler  Mansion  on  the 

Passaic  ....•••  ■' 

Philipse  Manor-House  at  Yonkers    .  .  .  .  •  .11 

Roger  Morris  House  .  .  .  •  •  •  •  ^^ 

Apthorpe  Mansion  .  .  .  •  •  •  .  IJ 

Livingston  House        ....••• 
"  Beverley  "         .  .  .  •  •  •  •  .  ~4 

Verplanck  House         ....•••  ^^ 

Van  Rensselaer  Manor-House,  Albany  .  .  .  •  .  3i^ 

Hall,  Van  Rensselaer  Manor-House  .  .  .  •  •  ^"^ 

Schuyler  Mansion,  Albany  .  .  .  •  ■  .37 

Sir  William  Pepperell's  House,  Kittcry's  Point,  Maine       ...  41 

Cradiiock  House,  Medford,  Massachusetts        .  .  ■  •  .43 

"  Hobgoblin  Hall,"  Medford,  Massachusetts  .... 

Quincy  Mansion,  Quincy,  Massachusetts  .  .  .  .  • 

Bryant  Homestead,  Cummington,  Massachusetts       .  .  • 

Home  of  John  Howard  Payne  ....•• 

Greenway  Court  ...-..• 

Westover,  on  the  James,  Virginia  ....•• 
Maycox,  on  the  James,  Vii-ginia  ..... 

Powhatan  Seat,  on  the  James,  Virginia  .  .  .  •  ■ 

Gunston  Hall,  Virginia  ...... 


6  LIST    OF  ILLl'STRATIONS. 

FAOC 

-Mount  Vernon,  Virginia     .                 .                .                .                 .                .  .65 

Stratford  lionsc,  Virginia         ......  68 

IIoiii<L'  of  General  Charles  Lee,  Virginia                          .                 .                .  .71 

Residence  of  General  Gates,  Virginia     .....  72 

"  Saratoga,"  Residence  of  General  Morgan,  Virginia   .                 .                 .  .75 

("arroll  Mansion,  Maryland        ......  77 

1h1\ ickrc,  Maryland           .......  Hi 

Stockton  Mansion,  New  Jersey                 .....  85 

Washington's  Headquarters,  Morristown,  New  Jersey  .                 .                 .  .88 

"  Liberty  Hall,"  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey      .....  93 

LATER     PERIOD. 

Residence  of  the  late  General  Worth  .  .  .  .  98 

Montgomery  Place      .......  102 

Bedford  House,  Residence  of  the  Honiirablc  John  Jay  .  .  .         107 

"  Old  Morrisania,"  ISIorrisania  .  .  .  .  .  110 

Entrance  Hall,  "  Old  .Morrisania  "  .  .  .  .  .  .112 

Library,  "  Old  Morrisania  "      .  .  .  .  .  .  114 

Reoeption-Room,  "Old  Morrisania"  .  .  .  .  .117 

Residence  of  William  H.  Morris  .....  121 

"  The  Grange,"  Residence  of  Alexander  Hamilton        ....         123 

Thirteen  "  Union  "  Trees  planted  by  Hamilton    ....  124 

The  Adams  Homestead      .......         127 

"  Cedarmere,"  Residence  of  William  Tullen  Hryant  .  .  .  1'5I 

Home  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow         .....         1^34 

"  Elmwood,"  Residence  of  James  Russell  Lowell  .  .  •  139 

Residence  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  .  •  .142 

Residence  of  A.  Bronson  Alcott  .  .  .  .  •  144 

Southeni  Front  of  the  Wliite  House,  Washington         ....         146 

MOD  K  R  N      P  E  R  I  O  I). 
Cottages       ........  148 

Residence  of  Albert   Bierstadf,  Tarrytown      .  .  .  •  •         150 


LIST    OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


"  Sunnyside,"  Home  of  Washington  Irving            ....  153 

Residence  of  John  Earle  Williams,  Irvington                ....  155 

Residence  of  Cyrus  W.  Field,  Irvington                 ....  157 

"  The  Castle,"  Residence  of  William  B.  Hatch,  Tarrytown        .  .  .158 

"  The  Castle  "  at  Night             ......  159 

Former  Residence  of  General  Fremont,  Tarrytown          .             .                  .                  .  161 

Rock  wood.  Residence  of  the  late  William  H.  Aspinwall    .                 .                 .  103 

Rockwood,  from  the  South                ......  164 

Lodge  at  Rockwood  .                 .                 .                 .                 .                 •                 •  165 

"  Idlewild,"  Residence  of  the  late  N.  P.  Willis  .  .  .  .106 

"  Claverhurst,"  Summer  Residence  of  Miss  Clara  Louise  Kellogg     .                 .  168 
Lodge  at  "  Claverhurst "  .                 .                 .                 •                 •                 •                 .169 

Residence  of  the  late  II.  G.  Eastman,  Poughkeepsie            .                 .                 .  170 

"  Massena,"  Barrytown       .....-•  172 

Glass-Room,  "  Massena  "           .                 .                 •                 •                 •                 ■  l''^3 

Lodge  and  Gate  at  "  Massena "       .                 .                 ■                 •                 •                 •  I'^-l 

Home  of  Frederick  E.  Church                  .  '              .                 .                .                 .  ^5 

View  from  the  Grounds  of  Mr.  Church's  Residence     ....  176 

Armsmear,  Residence  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Colt             ....  178 

Southwest  Corner  of  Armsmear        ......  180 

In  the  Grounds  at  Armsmear  .                 .                 .                 .                •                 •  182 

Residence  of  II.  Cabot  Lodge,  Nahant           .....  184 

Residence  of  Mrs.  Dexter,  Beverly  Farms             ....  187 

Residence  of  George  Gardner,  Beverly           .....  188 

"  Pinebank,"  Home  of  Edward  N.  Perkins            ....  191 

Home  of  Francis  Parkman                  ....••  1"3 

Home  of  Colonel  Theodore  Lyman,  Brookline       ....  195 

Residence  of  H.  H.  Hunnewell,  Wellesley      .....  197 

Home  of  .John  Quincy  Adams  ...•••  l^^ 

"  Malbone,"  Home  of  Henry  Bedloe,  Newport                ....  201 

Residence  of  Charlotte  Cushman,  Newport            ....  203 

Home  of  Thomas  G.   Appleton,  Newport      .                 .                 .                 •                 •  205 

Residence  of  George  E.  Waring,  .Jr.,    Newport      ....  207 

"  The  Rocks,"  Home  of  General  Robert  B.  Potter,  Newport     . 


209 


LIST    OF  ILIASTIiATJOXS. 


FACE 


"  Cedarcroft,"  Home  of  Bayar.l  Taylor                                                    .                •  212 

"  Lochiel,"  Home  of  the  Hon.  Simon  Cameron,  llarrisburi:                                            .  'il4 

Home  of  Felix  O.  C.  Darley,  Claymont  21  (i 

Residence  of  Russell  Smith,  Abington             .....  218 

Residence  of  A.  J.  Cassett,  Bryn  ilawr                ....  219 

Home  of  Judge  Asa  Packer,  Mauch  Chunk  .....  221 

"  Ogontz,"  former  Residence  of  Jay  Cooke            ....  223 

Home  of  J.  Pratt  McKean  .  .  .224 

Spiegel  Grove— the  Ohio  Home  of  President    Hayes             .                  .                  .  227 

Swavne  Mansion,  Columbus,  Ohio    ...•••  230 

"  Klmliurst,"  Home  of  William  S.  Groesbeck        ....  233 

Home  of  lliiny   Probasco,  Cin(iiin;Ui               .....  237 

A  Planter's  Home  on  the  Mississi|>i)i      .....  246 

A  Home  on  the  Tennessee                 ......  248 

Home  and  (iardcii   in  Cliarlisioii               .....  250 

A   Home  in   Florida             .......  2.54 


THE    HOMES    OF    AMERICA. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


architectural  acMeve- 
"5  ments  of  America  prior  to 
the  Revolution  were  nei- 
ther notable  nor  tyjjical  of  any 
peculiar  moral,  religious,  social,  or 
intellectual  idea.  In  the  older 
civilization  architecture  was  the 
mirror  which  retlected  the  char- 
acter of  a  people.  It  was  taught 
in  the  schools,  and  esteemed  one 
of  the  most  important  of  the  arts. 
But  the  representatives  of  many 


10  THE  HOMES    OF  AJIEF.ICA. 

nations  and  countries,  in  attempting  to  subdue  this  continent,  must  necessarily 
wait  for  the  general  anialgamatiou  of  habits,  tastes,  fa.shious,  and  modes  of 
life,  attendant  upon  the  g^o^\i:h  of  a  ne\v  and  distinct  species  of  the  liuiiian 
kind.  Ancestral  notions  as  various  as  the  lands  from  -which  they  spiung  guided 
the  early  settlei"S  in  their  construction  of  dwellings.  There  ct)uld  be  no  uni- 
formity of  style  in  domestic  ai'chitecture  at  that  period  characteiistir  <>f  the 
American  nation,  for  there  was  yet  no  American  nation. 

At  the  same  time  all  architecture  has  a  laniniage  of  its  own,  and  tin-  homes 
of  America  in  the  Colonial  period  reveal  more  tnithfuUy  th;m  any  other  ex- 
isting relics  the  life  and  liistor}-  of  the  times.  The  salient  features  t>f  domestic 
architecture  are  to  a  considerable  degree  the  outward  manifestation  of  the  iudi- 
\idual  man.  It  is  not  always  that  the  proprietor  can  design  his  own  house,  or 
that  the  architect  is  an  expert  in  expression.  Thus  instances  are  rare  where  a 
fine  house  fully  reflects  a  fine  character.  But  wherever  ideas  of  beauty  exist, 
even  when  the  parts  of  a  stracture  are  not  balanced  through  a  just  sense  of 
proportion,  or  Avhere  the  details  are  cnide,  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  generally 
spirited  and  pleasing,  and,  what  is  more  to  the  point,  possesses  a  human  ele- 
ment. Romance  and  poetry  are  not  infi'equeutly  wedded  to  brick  and  mortar. 
Thoughts,  feelings,  desii-es,  virtues,  vices,  and  vanities  are  preserved  in  visible 
forms.  A  man's  dwelling  in  its  most  complete  mold  may  be  regarded  as  a  tyY*e 
of  his  whole  private  life. 

Independent  of  personal  associations,  lu)wever,  the  earlier  American  homes 
ai-e  in  the  highest  degree  interesting  to  us  of  this  generation,  since  they  illus- 
trate the  pi-actical  adaptation  of  pi-inciples  of  architecture,  culled  from  all  ages 
and  <-onntries,  to  the  requii-emeuts  of  a  young  and  progressive  pe(.)ple.  Karely 
was  a  model  bon'owed  bodily  from  a  foreign  land.  The  climate,  necessities  of 
pioneer  life,  and  social  conditions  of  an  unformed  community,  led  to  the  rejec- 
tion of  many  useless  architectural  featui-es,  and  the  substitution  of  othei-s  fresh- 
ly dra\\  n  from  the  inspiration  of  the  surroundings,  or  suggested  by  a  sense  of 
local  fitness.  And  the  blending  of  nationalities,  jvs  in  the  marriages  of  the 
English  and  Dutch  of  New  York,  Nvrought  a  corresponding  combination  of 
architectural  styles. 

One  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  this  class,  a  curious  mixture  of  Dutch 
and  English  architecture,  is  the  Philipse  manor-house,  which  l)elongs,  properly 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


11 


speaking,  to  two  distiuct  eras,  1682  and  1745.  Tlie  imposing  soutli  front,  given 
in  the  sketcli,  represents  tlie  original  mansion  built  by  Frederick  PLilipse,  a 
genuine  Hollander,  who  for  a  full  quarter  of  a  century  was  kno^vn  as  the  I'icliest 
man  in  New  York.  Sixty-three  years  later  his  grandson,  the  second  lord  of  the 
manor,  whose  mother  and  -wife  were  both  accomplished  Englishwomen,  added 


The   Philipse   Manor-House  at  Yonkers. 


the  great  elegant  eastern  front,  mth  its  two  porticoes  and  almost  innumerable 
Avindows,  and  its  dormitories  in  the  gable-roof  for  fifty  household  servants, 
twenty  of  whom  were  negro  slaves. 

The  princely  old  edifice  stood  quite  alone  in  the  wilderness  long  subsequent 
to  its  erection  in  1682.  It  overlooked  the  Hudson  some  fom-teen  miles  above 
New  York  City,  -wnth  picturesque  hills  and  vales,  thorny  dells,  rocky  steeps, 
and  fenceless  pastiu-es  variegated  with  shrubs,  stinted  grass,  and  forest  flowers. 


12  THE    HOMES     or   AMEIUCA. 

lioverintr  upon  the  north  and  east  of  it,  wliile  to  the  south  a  rajtiil  cieek,  in- 
dulgin<f  in  all  sorts  of  mad  and  musical  pi'anks,  rushed  through  a  narrow 
ra\'ine,  not  infrequently  fretting  and  fuming  over  Dutch  mill-dams  until  they 
were  upset  altogether.  Architecturally  the  house  was,  like  its  owner,  severely 
aristocratic ;  its  rooms  immensely  large,  and  its  whole  aspect  after  the  manner 
of  the  baronial  countiy-seats  of  the  Holland  grandees.  The  bricks  for  the 
masonr}',  and  other  materials  for  building,  were  imported.  The  jambs  of  the 
Dutch  fireidaces,  still  presented,  are  three  or  more  feet  deep,  and  faced  ^vith 
tiles  bearing  Scriptural  illustrations  and  appro2)riate  i-eferences.  The  chimney 
was,  however,  purely  American,  and  designed  for  the  passage  of  something 
besides  smoke.  In  its  examination  we  are  brought  face  to  face,  as  it  were,  ^^"ith 
tomahawks  and  scalping-knives,  for  it  contains  a  <piaintly  curious  secret  passage- 
wa}'  from  one  of  the  principal  chambers  to  an  underground  retreat,  quite  large 
enough  for  the  escape  of  a  family  fi'om  savage  foes.  The  massive  south  outer 
door  (as  seen  in  the  sketch),  dark  as  ebony,  and  originally  divided  in  halves, 
was  as  purely  Dutch,  having  been  made  in  Holland  in  1081,  and  imported  by 
Lady  Philipse  in  one  of  her  o^\^l  ships. 

It  needs  but  a  passing  glimpse  into  this  mirror  of  antiquity  to  descr}'  its 
master  once  more  in  the  flesh.  He  was  tall,  well-proportioned,  with  a  (piiet 
gray  eye  which  seemed  to  hide  more  than  it  revealed,  a  Roman  nose,  and  mouth 
expressing  strong  will.  He  was  grave  even  to  melancholy,  and  talked  so  little 
that  he  was  often  pronounced  excessively  dull.  His  movements  were  slow  and 
measured,  he  dressed  ^vith  sciiipulous  care,  wearing  the  full  embroidery,  lace 
cuffs,  and  periwig  with  flowing  ringlets,  of  the  period,  and  hauglitily  enter- 
tained governors  and  their  counselors  at  stated  intervals  with  frigid  cei-emony. 
He  was  not  a  man  of  letters,  nor  of  any  special  culture,  although  intelligent, 
apt,  a  close  obsei'ver  of  men  and  things,  and  shi-ewd  even  to  ci-aftiness.  Vov 
more  than  twenty  yeai*s  he  Avas  an  official  adviser  of  the  King  of  England's 
commander-in-chief  of  New  York,  yet  he  nevei-  advised.  In  the  political  con- 
troversies of  his  time,  which  wei'e  more  deadly  bitter  than  they  have  ever  lieen 
since,  he  lai<l  his  hand  ujxm  his  purse,  and  waited  to  see  which  jiarty  was  likclv 
to  win.  During  the  Revolution  of  1(!.S',»  he  so  a(h'(>itly  l)al;nu'c(l  himself  u]inii 
the  fence  as  to  protect  his  property  interests,  and  come  <l<)wn  upon  the  I'ight 
side  in  the  end. 


COLONIAL  PERIOD.  13 

The  Avay  in  wliicli  lie  became  so  vastly  rich  is  colored  mth  romauce.  He 
came  to  New  York  as  })enniless  as  many  another  high-born  youth,  in  the  fm*- 
traffic  clays  of  stately  Governor  Stuyvesant.  But  he  could  turn  his  hand  to 
almost  any  industry  from  the  grinding  of  corn  to  the  building  of  a  iJulpit.  It 
is  said  that  he  actually  worked  at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  until  he  could  estab- 
lish a  trade  with  the  Indians.  He  grew  rapidly  into  notice  until  about  1662, 
when  the  wheel  of  his  destiny  went  round  with  a  whirl.  He  mariied  the 
widow  and  the  opulent  estate  of  Peter  Rudolphus  De  Vries.  The  world  criti- 
cised the  lady  as  able,  but  not  amiable,  possibly  because  she  possessed  remark- 
able business  tact  and  talent  in  her  own  right,  bought  and  traded  in  her  owti 
name,  and  often  went  to  Holland  in  her  own  ships  as  supercargo. 

Philipse  soon  became  one  of  the  largest  traders  with  tlie  Five  Nations  at 
Albany,  sent  his  own  vessels  to  both  the  East  and  West  Indies,  imj)orted  slaves 
from  Africa,  and,  when  jiiracy  was  at  its  zenith,  was  loudly  accused  of  unlawful 
commerce  mth  the  buccaneers  at  Madagascar.  This  last  accusation,  however, 
if  tnie,  was  never  proved.  His  wife  finally  died,  and  he  shortly  married 
another  rich  ^^ddow,  who  outdid  the  first,  inasmuch  as  she  brought  him  two  for- 
tunes, one  from  her  father,  the  blue-blooded  Oloff  Stevensen  Van  Cortlandt, 
and  the  other  from  her  deceased  husband,  John  Derval.  In  the  mean  time  the 
broad  acres  between  Spuyteu  Duyvil  and  the  Croton  had  been  purchased  by 
him,  and  erected  into  a  manor  by  royal  charter,  and  two  manor-houses  built, 
that  of  the  sketch,  in  the  heart  of  what  is  now  the  ambitious  city  of  Yonkers, 
and  "  Castle  Philipse,"  at  Sleepy  Hollow ;  also  the  Old  Mill,  at  Sleepy  Hollow, 
to  whichi  his  tenants  brought  their  corn  to  grind,  and  the  first  toll-bridge  across 
Spuyten  Duy^dl  Creek,  known  as  King's  bridge.  And  in  1699  he  and  his  wife 
together  built  the  substantial  stone  church  at  Sleepy  Hollow,  which  is  be- 
lieved to  be  the  oldest  church  edifice  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

Wken  the  cultivated  European  tastes  of  the  second  lord  of  the  manor 
began  to  expand  in  1745,  a  grandeur  that  was  preeminently  hospitable  took 
the  place  of  the  cold  polish  of  the  original  edifice.  Even  now  a  practiced  eye 
can  readily  determine  where  the  products  of  the  two  centuries  were  joined  in 
one  harmonious  whole.  The  walls  of  the  new  part  were  wainscoted,  the  ceil- 
ings higlily  ornamented  in  arabesque  work,  and  marble  mantels  were  imported 
from  En2:land.     The  two  main  halls  of  entrance  were  each  some  eighteen  feet 


14  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

wiiU',  ;iii<l  tilt'  staiivast's,  witli  iiiali()L;aiiy  lianil-iail>  ami  lialii^tt'is,  wciv  suiH'rbly 
canned.  The  roof  was  suiinouutecl  by  a  heavy  Hue  of  balustrade,  foruiiu-;  a 
teiTace  which  eommauded  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Hudson.  The  irardens 
and  i^rounds  were  filled  with  valuable  trees  and  rare  shrubs  and  fiuwei-s, 
throusrh  which  stretched  graveled  \valks  bordered  with  box,  Avhile  a  l)road,  vel- 
vety lawn  appeared  in  front,  and  a  greensward  sloped  gradually  westward  to 
the  Hudson,  dotted  with  fine  specimens  of  ornamental  trees,  which  were  em- 
parked  and  stocked  with  deer.  And  here  again  we  see  the  individual  proprie- 
tor, a  channiug,  generous  host,  undisturbed  b}-  any  of  the  cares  which  accom- 
pany the  accumulation  of  property,  with  the  prospect  of  spending  a  long  life 
in  the  enjojTuent  of  an  inheritance,  and  who  presided  over  his  tenants  and  serfs 
like  a  right  royal  old  feudal  sovereign.  He  mixed  somewhat  in  public  life, 
being  for  seven  yeai-s  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  of  New  York,  and  for  a  nuich 
lon2;er  period  the  Baron  and  Second  Judge  of  the  Exchequer.  He  usually 
occupied  in  person  the  bench  in  the  Court-leet  and  Court-baron  of  the  JNlauor, 
taking  cognizance  of  criminal  as  well  as  civil  mattere,  administering  justice,  and 
sometimes  capital  punishment. 

His  children  had  every  advantage  in  the  way  of  instnictinu  which  it  was  in 
the  power  of  wealthy  parents  to  bestow.  He  had  three  lovel}'  daughtei"s,  of 
^vhom  Mary,  bom  at  the  manor  in  1730,  was  repiited  the  most  beautiful  young 
lady  in  all  the  country.  His  eldest  son  Frederick  was  the  thii'd  Lord  of  the 
Manor.  He  was  graduated  at  King's  College  in  New  York.  He  \\as  an 
ai'dent  churchman,  and  opened  his  puree  genei'ously  to  all  charitable  j)urposes. 
His  tastes  were  literary,  and  he  mixed  very  little  in  public  alfaii's,  although  he 
was  a  memljer  of  the  Assembly  for  several  yeai-s.  He  was  know  n  and  sjiokcu 
t)f  a.s  a  courtly  and  scholarly  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  and  an  ornament  in 
polite  society.  He  lived  in  a  style  of  great  magnificence ;  the  manor-house  was 
burnished  anew,  and  on  eveiy  side  there  was  costly  and  showy  display.  His 
wfe  was  an  imperious  woman  of  fashion.  It  is  said  that  her  })ride  was  to 
appear  upon  the  roads  of  Westchester,  skillfully  ivining  four  spleiulid  jet- 
black  steeds.  She  was  killed  liy  a  fall  from  her  carriage  a  short  time  before 
the  Kevolution. 

When  the  dispute  broke  out  between  England  and  her  colonies,  Pliilipse 
was  one  of  those  who  ti-it-d   tn  inaiutain  so  strict  a  neutrality  as  to  protei't   his 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  15 

property.  But  lie  signally  failed.  He  was  at  heart  a  loyalist,  and  had  no  faith 
whatever  in  the  success  of  the  Americau  arms.  He  was  very  soon  susj)ected 
of  favoring  the  British,  and  compelled  to  seek  safety  in  the  city  until  the  end 
of  the  war.  He  was,  however,  at  the  manor-hall  until  after  the  battle  of  White 
Plains,  and  Washington  and  his  generals  staid  several  nights  under  his  terraced 
roof.  The  old  southwestern  chamber,  before  described,  was  the  scene  of  sev- 
eral important  councils  of  war. 

In  1777  he  took  a  final  farewell  of  his  ancestral  home  and  irmnense  posses- 
sions. In  1779  the  State  Legislature  declared  huu  attainted  of  treason,  and 
the  manor  confiscated.  When  the  British  troops  left  New  York  in  1783,  he 
went  with  them  to  England,  and  died,  two  years  later,  in  Chester. 

In  1784  the  State  offered  the  manor  for  sale  in  tracts  to  suit  purchasers. 
The  manor-hall  at  Yonkers  and  lands  adjacent  were  bought  by  Cornelius  P. 
Low,  of  New  York,  and  became  the  rallying-spot  for  the  viQage.  Low  did  not 
wish  to  occupy  the  mansion,  and  sold  it  again.  Prior  to  1813  it  had  had  many 
owners.  Then  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Lemiiel  Wells,  who  made  it  his  resi- 
dence for  twenty-nine  years.  He  died  childless  and  intestate,  and,  as  he  left  no 
will,  his  estate  was  divided  among  sixteen  heirs. 

Again,  the  building  had  an  uneasy  and  changeful  proprietorship  imtil  the 
city  of  Yonkera  came  to  the  rescue  and  took  it  under  its  o^\ti  ^ving,  converting 
it  into  a  city  hall.  It  was  necessary  to  alter  the  geogi-aphy  of  the  northern 
portion  of  the  iaterior  in  order  to  provide  space  for  a  modern  court-room.  But 
good  taste  was  displayed  in  the  manner  of  its  accomplishment,  and,  although 
the  boundary-lines  of  former  centuries  were  obliterated  in  that  particular  part, 
yet  the  southern  and  southwestern  apartments  have  been  carefully  shielded 
from  modem  innovation,  and,  in  their  antique  garments,  serve  to  render  this 
one  of  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  historic  buildings  in  America. 

Of  a  different  order  of  architecture  was  the  Roger  Morris  house,  at  present 
kno'\\Ti  as  the  "  Jumel  Mansion,"  situated  on  Harlem  Heights,  at  the  northern 
extremity  of  Manhattan  Island.  It  was  erected  within  the  same  decade  as  the 
later  geographical  annexations  to  the  Philipse  manor-house,  and  was  first  occu- 
pied in  the  summer  of  1758.  Colonel  Roger  Moms,  its  projector,  was  a  Briton 
bom,  coming  to  America  an  officer  in  British  service  during  the  old  French  and 


IG 


Tin:    noMKS     OF   AMERICA. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  17 

ludiuu  wars.  He  married  the  beautiful  Mar}'  Pbilipse,  of  Pliilipse  Manor,  who 
captivated  Washington  a  few  months  prior  to  the  date  of  her  betrothal  to  his 
rival.  The  home  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  bride  was  one  of  the  most 
elegant  of  its  class  at  that  epoch.  The  main  building  ^vas  nearly  S(|uare,  and 
two  stories  in  height  with  an  attic.  A  great  central  hall,  or  passage-way, 
opened  through  the  entire  structure,  with  two  spacious  rooms  upon  each  side. 
Upon  the  northern  side  was  an  extension  of  octagonal  form,  containing  the 
di"a wing-room  below  and  bedrooms  above.  The  walls  of  the  mansion  were  of 
Holland  brick,  sheathed  with  plank,  and  the  southern  front  presented  a  high 
porch  with  four  Doric  coliunns,  and  a  gallery  at  the  second  story.  The  roof, 
like  that  of  the  Philipse  manor-house,  was  crowned  with  a  bahistrade,  and 
under  the  whole  edifice  was  a  cellar  dug  out  of  solid  rock. 

This  fine  countiy-seat  was  located  on  one  of  the  highest  and  most  pictu- 
resque spots  which  INIanhattan  Island  afforded.  From  the  roof,  the  gallery, 
or  the  porch,  the  eye  might  take  in  the  -whole  of  Harlem  Eiver  from  the 
Croton  Aqueduct  to  Hell  Gate,  Long  Island  Sound  and  beyond,  the  beautiful 
fields  of  Westchester,  and  the  entire  Long  Island  landscape  thence  to  Brooklyn, 
Staten  Island  in  the  distance,  and  the  great  intervening  metropolis.  The  land 
now  attached  to  the  mansion  is  about  one  hundred  acres,  the  remnant  of  sev- 
eral hundred  which  originally  composed  the  estate.  Colonel  IMoriis  and  his 
wife  resided  here  a  full  quarter  of  a  century,  with  the  exception  of  the  brief 
period  when  the  house  was  converted  into  headquarters  for  Washington  in  the 
autumn  of  1776.  Ki  the  close  of  the  war,  Morris,  who  had  adhered  to  the 
royal  cause,  retired  with  his  wife  to  England ;  both  were  attainted  of  treason, 
and  their  large  estates  confiscated  to  the  State  of  New  York. 

After  a  changeful  proprietorshii)  the  property  was  in  1810  purchased  by 
Stephen  Jumel,  a  Frenchman  and  -wealthy  shipping  merchant,  whose  accom- 
plished wife  transfigured  the  whole  domain  -with  evidences  of  her  cidtivated 
and  exquisite  taste.  Jumel  died  in  1832,  leaving  all  his  money,  houses,  and 
lands  to  his  widow,  who  in  1833  married  the  famous  Aaron  Burr.  Madame 
Jumel  lived  in  this  old  mansion  more  than  half  a  centiuy,  and,  being  quite  a 
connoisseur  in  art,  selected  two  or  three  hundred  fine  paintings  in  Europe 
about  1816,  making  her  home  one  of  the  rarest  picture-galleries  in  the  America 
of  that  period.     She  adopted  a  relative  as  a  daughter,  who  became  the  wife  of 


18  THE    HOMES     OF    AMI'JIICA. 

Nelson  Chase,  and  lieir  to  the  innnense  fortune  of  ^ladame  JiimcK  alioiit  the 
title  of  which  the  ne\\>ipai)ers  have  recently  been  filled  with  legal  ])iocee<liiiirs. 
Benson  J.  Lossing  says  iu  his  description  of  the  place:  "A  few  rods  noi-tli  of 
the  mansion  is  the  'Marco  Bozzaiis  Rock,'  on  the  verge  of  the  rugged  acclivity 
that  rises  from  the  Harlem  Kiver.  It  was  so  named  from  the  fact  that,  in  a 
trrassv  nook  at  its  foot,  overlooking  the  Harlem  Kiver,  Fitz-Gieene  Ilallcck 
wrote  liis  stimng  poem  entitled  'Marco  Bozzaris/  The  late  Allied  Pell,  of 
New  York,  was  then  occni)ying  the  mansion  while  the  family  were  traveling, 
and  llalleck  was  his  guest.  That  was  al)out  the  year  1S2().  In  that  nook, 
seated  in  a  nistic  chair  at  a  nistic  table,  sec-lii<lc<l  by  the  great  rock  and  umbra- 
geous ce<lars,  ])iiics,  and  oaks,  the  poet  wrote  that  once  most  ])opular  pDciii  in 
our  language." 

One  of  the  choicest  existing  si)ecimens  of  domestic  architecture,  before  the 
colonies  shook  themselves  free  from  kingly  fettei'S,  may  be  seen  in  the  old 
Apthorpe  Mansion,  situated  lu  ar  the  corner  of  Ninth  Avenue  and  Ninety-first 
Street,  New  York  City.  It  was  built  in  wliat  was  then  a  picturesijue,  wooded 
Avild,  as  far  from  the  metropolis — if  we  may  measui'e  distance  by  the  facilities 
for  overcoming  it — as  I*oughkee]isie  is  to-day,  by  Charles  Wai'd  Apthorpe.  one 
of  the  counseloi-s  of  the  royal  (lovernor  of  New  York,  "William  Tiyon.  The 
effective  stateliness  of  the  building  is  only  eclijised  by  the  ancient  pine-  and 
locust-trees  which  stand  alxnit  it  like  sentinels  on  duty.  A  reeesse(l  portico  is 
snppoi-ted  by  Corinthian  colnnnis,  with  corresj^onding  pilasters,  and  a  high, 
arched  doorway  opens  into  a  spacious  hall,  with  ])ivtentions  rooms  u|>on  either 
side.  In  its  paliny  days  the  house  was  sui'i-ounde(l  by  broad,  highly  cultivated 
grounds,  with  liordered  walks  and  graveled  drives.  Ai>thor})e  was  n<it  an 
active  loyalist,  and  succeeded  in  satisfying  the  Committee  on  Conspii-acy  from 
the  New  ^'oik  Congress  of  his  peaceable  intentions,  therefore  ictained  his  New 
York  ])i-opei'ty  after  the  Revolution,  although  he  had  large  estates  in  Massaehu- 
setts  and  in  the  District  of  IMaine  which  were  confiscated.  He  Avas  a  scholarly 
man  of  iii'ty  when  the  war  romiiieiiced,  of  (piiet  lialtits  and  soeial  ]>roniinence. 
lie  did  not  leave  liis  home  when  Washington  made  it  his  headipiarters,  for  a 
brief  few  <lays,  after  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  but  entertaineil  him  sum]>tu- 
ously.     The  aiTaiigemeiits   for  the   perilous  e.\|ie(litii>n    of    Nathan    llale    were 


C  OL  ONIAL    PERIOD. 


19 


perfected  under  this  roof.  A  little  later,  \vlien  Washiugtou  moved  on  to  the 
Roger  Morris  mausioii,  the  British  commander  took  possession  of  the  comfort- 
able quarters  he  had  vacated,  and  Mr.  Apthorpe  was  still  the  affable  and  cheer- 


The    Apthoppe     Mansior 


ful  host.  He  continued  to  reside  here  after  the  war,  exercising  the  generous 
hospitality  of  a  courtly,  kind-hearted  gentleman  of  wealth,  until  his  death  in 
May,  1797. 

At  Dobb's  Ferry,  on  the  Hudson,  about  a  half  mile  to  the  southward  of  the 
railroad  station,  is  a  substantial  (hvelling  which  Avas  for  some  years  the  home 
of  Peter  Van  Brugh  Livingston,  Treasurer  of  the  New  York  Congress  in  1776. 
It  was  originally  a  one-story,  pointed-roofed  country-house,  with  the  gable-end 


20  Tin:    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

towanl  till'  street  in  tiiie  Dutch  fashion.  The  entrance  was  under  a  little, 
anti(jue  portico,  tlie  same  as  seen  in  tlie  sketch,  beyond  the  stump  crowned 
with  Howei-s.  The  liall  was  broatl,  with  a  larsxe,  sipiare  room  on  each  side  of  it, 
the  one  at  the  west  lu-ini:  the  parlor.  There  was  a  family-room  at  the  cml  df 
the  hall,  from  wliidi  two  Ijedrooms  opened.  And  there  were  sleepin<.(  accom- 
modations in  the  jrieat  unlinished  chamber,  reached  by  a  ladder.  It  wa.s  an 
ambitious  house,  built  by  an  enterpiising  Dutch  fanner  some  years  before  the 
culmination  of  the  family  (juarrel  with  England.  He  wa.s  a  man  who  liad  no 
jiolitical  svmjiathies.  But  the  tenor  of  his  ])eaceful  life  was  a  shining  mark 
towanl  wliicli  Destiny  ainuMl  lu-r  shaft.  Ai'med  legions  fioin  bntli  of  the  hos- 
tile paities  marched  into  his  door-yard,  trampled  <U>wn  his  gi'ass-])lats,  ^"icked 
his  chemes  and  his  ajiples  and  his  pears,  killed  his  chickens  before  they  were 
half  grown,  ransacked  his  cellars  for  meat  and  vegetables,  slept  in  his  l)ams, 
fed  his  grain  to  their  horses,  and  carried  the  earth  from  his  gardens  and  coni- 
fields  into  his  mowing  lands  for  fortifications.  Otticei"s  took  i)ossession  of  the 
best  rooms  in  his  house,  and  made  themselves  vastly  more  at  home  than  he  was 
himself. 

It  was  the  Americans  \vho  lirst  invaded  liis  ]iiecincts.  Then  the  Ibitish 
came  in  October,  1776,  after  the  battle  of  White  Plains,  and  rendezvoused 
prior  to  their  march  upon  Fort  Washington.  Lord  Ilowe  sat  before  a  blazing 
wood-fire  in  the  ancient  parlor,  and  sketched  a  map  of  the  roads  in  AVestchester. 
A  little  later  General  Lee  stopped  here  for  a  few  days  on  his  march  from  White 
Plains  to  Morristown.  The  follomng  winter  a  division  of  the  Americans  under 
General  Lincoln  was  encamped  at  this  point  for  the  jMiiposf  of  connnanding 
the  pa.ssage  of  the  rivei-.  Numerous  redoubts  wei-e  thrown  up,  the  remains  of 
which  are  still  visible.  The  good  fanner  was  com])elled  to  smile  in  the  midst  of 
his  misei'v,  <>r  l>e  suspected  of  favoring  the  enemy  ;  and  the  eiuiuy  were  always 
the  absent  ])arty.  One  day  he  was  driven  to  the  very  acme  of  human  forbear- 
ance by  the  piling  of  four  barrels  of  gunpowder  in  a  little  slied,  which  wa.s 
joined  to  the  rear  of  his  house.  lie  expostulated  in  vain.  "  It  is  a  good,  dry 
place  for  it,"  said  Lincoln,  then  turned  coolly  on  his  hrd.  \\'luii  the  garrison 
was  withdrawn,  a  few  weeks  afterward,  the  powilci'  was  left  behind.  The 
fjiiinci-  made  haste  to  ivniovc  it,  l»ut,  upon  rollin--  the  last  l)arrel  out  of  the 
xard,  it    burst   oikmi,  ami    was   found   to  contain   nothing  moi-e  dangerous  than 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


21 


saud  !    The  placing  it  in  the  shed  had  been  a  ruse  to  deceive  the  British 
spies. 

"With  the  departure  of  the  troops  came  nocturnal  visits  from  the  Cow-boys 
and  Skinners,  and  foraging  parties  fi-om  both  armies.  And  every  man  who 
wore  an  epaidet  must  be  fed  and  lodged  according  to  his  demands.  Bullets, 
and  even  cannon-balls,  from  the  shipping,  cut  the  air  in  frightful  proximity, 
and  the  old  man  was  aghast  with  consternation.     He  began  to  cast  about  hun 


The    Livingston     House. 


for  a  place  of  safety.  Several  shots  pierced  the  house,  and  bricks  were  dis- 
lodged in  the  chimney.  He  finally,  -with  his  family,  made  his  way  into  the 
country  to  the  north,  far  out  of  liann's  way,  and  hrred  himself  out  as  a  day- 
laborer. 

Many  of  the  bullets  and  balls,  which  were  planted  in  the  grounds  about  the 
house,  have  been  exhumed  -within  a  few  years. 

There  was  a  native  cheriy-tree  standing  about  a  rod  directly  south  of  the 
front  door  of  the  mansion.     It  grew^  to  immense  proportions,  was  at  least  four- 


■2-2  Tin:    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

teen  feet  in  lireiiniference,  and  had  six  branches,  eaeli  of  wIikIi  would  have 
made  a  huge  tree  of  itself.  In  1870  it  was  cut  down,  ami  a  knt)tty  i)rotul)er- 
ance  on  the  river-side,  whicli  liad  always  lieen  the  sul)ject  of  more  or  less  spec- 
ulation, was  found  to  have  Keen  the  harbor  of  a  large-sized  canuon-l)all  for 
almost  a  century.  The  inteiesting  relic  is  carefidly  preseiTed  by  Mr.  Aicher, 
tlie  present  pi-tn)rietor  of  the  propei-ty. 

On  the  l.st  day  of  August,  1780,  the  main  body  of  the  American  aiiny  was 
suihleidy  thrown  across  the  Hudson,  and  encamped  at  I)ol)])'s  Feiry.  A\  hy,  no 
one  knew  save  the  connnander-in-cliief.  lie  repairetl  immediately  to  this  house. 
His  tall  and  well-proportioned  figiu'e  nearly  reached  from  floor  to  ceiling,  wliere 
the  heavy  l)eams  \vere  baie  and  waxed  smooth.  He  was  attended  by  Stirling, 
Lafayette,  Steuben,  Knox,  Greene,  Hamilton,  aud  other  otHcers.  It  was  ascer- 
tained, August  4th,  that  AVashington's  ingenious  manceuvie  had  effected  the 
object  intended,  that  of  dra\\ing  back  the  British  expedition  to  Rhode  Island, 
and  the  araiy  was  speedily  under  marching  orders,  and  recrossed  the  ferry  to 
the  Jersey  shore.  A  few  troops  were  left,  however,  to  erect  a  block-house  and 
batteries,  Dobb's  Feny  having  grown  into  a  point  of  relative  impcM-tance  in  the 
movements  of  armies.  It  was  the  spot  fii-st  appointed  for  the  meeting  of  .Vndn' 
and  Arnold;  and,  if  the  lattei'  had  not  been  prevented  from  landing  by  the 
interference  of  a  guard-l)oat,  the  inteiTiew  would  have  taken  place  in  the  house 
above  described.  It  was  here  that  General  Greene  met  General  Robertson  in 
conference  concerning  tlie  fate  of  Major  Andre.  Robertson  Mas  the  chief  of 
tliree  connnissioners  sent  up  the  river  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  in  the  schoonei- 
Greyhound  with  a  Hag  of  truce.  AVashington  permitted  Greene  to  meet  Robert- 
son as  a  piivate  gentleman,  but  not  as  an  officer  of  the  army,  as  the  case  of  an 
acknowledged  spy  admitted  of  no  discussion. 

In  the  summer  of  1781  AVashington's  hcaihiuartei-s  were  again  uiidfr  this 
roof  for  six  oi'  more  weeks.  His  ni-my  was  encamped  in  two  lines,  with  its 
riirht  restiuij  on  the  Hudson.  The  French,  under  Count  de  Rochand)ean,  occn- 
l>i('d  the  left,  a  single  line  extending  to  the  river  Bron.x.  The  latter  had  just 
arrived,  having  marched  from  Providence  via  Ilai-tford. 

The  real  object  of  the  allied  armies  in  the  present  cami)aign  \vas  the  subject 
of  much  speculation  and  betting  among  the  soldiei-s.  It  was  apparently  the 
capture  of  New  A'mk.     TIiciv  were  givat  bustle  and  pivparjitioii.     Distinguisliccl 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  23 

men  from  eveiy  point  of  the  compass  visited  Wasliingtou,  aud  were  entertained 
in  his  inistic  quarters.  Tlie  French  ambassador  spent  several  days  mtli  him. 
Colonel  Laurens,  the  son  of  the  American  .ambassador  to  Holland,  was  also 
here ;  and  nearly  every  general  of  any  note  in  the  army. 

Toward  the  last  of  August  there  was  a  general  order  for  the  army  to  move, 
and  it  became  kno^\'ll  in  course  of  events  that  it  was  destined  to  Virgiuia,  in 
pursuit  of  Lord  Cornwallis.  A  strong  garrison  was  left  at  Dobb's  Ferry,  which 
remained  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities. 

It  was  in  this  same  mansion  that  Washington  and  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  aud 
their  respective  suites,  met  to  make  aiTaugements  for  the  evacuation  of  New 
York  by  the  British.  Washington  came  do\\Ti  from  West  Point  in  a  barge. 
Sir  Guy  Carleton  came  up  the  river  in  a  frigate.  Four  companies  of  American 
infantry  acted  as  guards  of  honor,  and  escorted  them  fi'om  the  feriy  to  the 
house. 

Livingston  purchased  the  property  soon  after  peace  was  established,  Avhich, 
aside  from  the  dwelling,  consisted  of  about  five  hundred  acres  of  land.  After 
him  it  belonged  to  his  son,  Van  Brugh  Li\4ngston,  by  whom  the  house  was 
repaired,  raised  one  story,  and  enlarged  on  the  eastern  side.  A  smooth,  vel- 
vety lawn  Avas  extended  from  the  front  to  the  liver-bank.  An  invisible  wire 
fence  protected  the  grounds  fi-om  the  post-road  which  seemed  to  pass  through 
them.  It  had  an  aii'  of  simplicity  and  comfort,  aud  impressed  the  passer-by  as 
being  the  home  of  a  gentleman  of  means  aud  refinement.  Since  then  the  front 
has  been  added,  and  other  changes  effected.  But  the  old  square  parlor  is  the 
same,  and  mauy  other  features  of  the  ancient  building.  Two  original  forest- 
trees,  a  tulip  and  an  elm,  the  latter  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  sketch,  tower 
one  hundred  aud  fifty  feet  high,  not  more  than  three  rods  from  the  southern 
entrance.  They  were  both  struck  by  lightning,  at  the  same  moment,  about 
seven  years  ago,  the  marks  of  which  they  Avill  bear  to  the  end  of  tlieii'  days. 
The  house  has  a  picturesque  background  of  hill  and  forest,  aud  commands  an 
extensive  A-iew  of  beautiful  sceneiy  on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson. 

"  Beverley,"  opposite  West  Point,  familiar  to  the  reading  public  tlu'ough  its 
associations  with  the  treason  of  iVrnold,  is  a  relic  of  the  Colonial  period  which 
has  undersfone  no  material  arcliitectural  alteration  since  its  erection  in  1750. 


24 


•////;    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


It  was  fnr  iii;in\  vears  the  priiu-t'ly  alxxU'  of  a  L'eiienms  ami  I'nuitly  li<)S])itality. 
Ctiloiiel  Ik'verk'V  K<>l)iiis(>ii,  the  sou  of  Honorable  Joliii  Robinson,  President  of 
the  Colony  of  Virginia  after  the  retirement  of  (iovernor  (ioocli,  came  in  pos- 
session of  one  thousand  ac-res  of  fine  land  in  tills  icLrioii  thr(iiiL:li  his  wife,  the 
sister  of  Mi-s.  Roirer  Morris,  and  daughter  of  the  lord  of  I'liilijise  manor,  and 
together  thev  ]>lanned  and  built  this  romantic  dwelling  in  the  wildei-ness  for 
their  suiMiiifi'  home.      It  was  fashioned  aftei'  the  eounti'v-seats  in    Kughiiid,  with 


a  central  hall,  wi<le  enough  for  a  cotillon  ])arty,  running  thi'ough  the  entire 
Imihling,  and  im]t()sing  apartments  elaborately  decorated.  Thf  design  of  the 
anti(|ue  staircase  corresponds  with  those  to  be  found  in  the  stately  homes  of 
England.  The  jieculiar  carving,  however,  and  the  cuiious  tiles,  indicate  the 
Holland  birthright  of  the  accom])lished  lady  who  ])resided  over  its  rise  and 
progress,  while   the  gai<lcns,  lawns,  fruit-orchards,  broad,  cnltivatcd    fields,  iind 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  25 

great  deer-parks,  were  presently  iu  accord  with  the  refiued  tastes  of  the  mili- 
taiy  scholar  and  English  gentleman. 

Kobinson  was  an  officer  iu  the  British  army  under  Wolfe,  and  fought  with 
signal  bravery  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham.  When  the  Revolutionary  contro- 
versy conunenced,  he  opposed  the  measm'es  of  the  ministry,  gave  up  the  use  of 
imported  merchandise,  and  clad  himself  and  his  family  in  the  fabrics  of  domes- 
tic mauufactiu'e.  But  he  opposed  the  separation  of  the  colonies  from  the 
mother-countiy.  He  was  not  a  native-born  citizen  of  America,  and,  although  a 
retii'ed  officer,  was  liable  to  be  called  upon  at  any  time  in  case  of  war.  His 
idea  of  a  soldier's  first  duty  was  obedience  to  superior  authority.  Hence,  al- 
though he  desired  to  take  a  neutral  part  when  hostilities  were  declared,  the 
pressure  was  so  strong  that  he  yielded,  and  removed  his  family  to  New  York 
city,  where  he  had  a  costly  town-house  and  other  property  of  value,  whence 
they  took  refuge  in  Great  Britain  at  the  close  of  the  war.  His  immense  estates 
were  confiscated  and  sold.  Several  of  his  childi'en  were  born  at  "  Beverley," 
all  of  whom  attained  distinction. 

This  dwelling  has  been  the  theatre  of  a  score  of  stirring  events.  Shortly 
after  it  was  vacated  by  its  owner,  the  American  officers  at  West  Point  selected 
it  for  a  militaiy  hospital.  Arnold  soon  found  it  convenient,  and  domiciled  him- 
self and  his  family  -wdthin  its  walls.  Here  he  perfected  his  traitorous  designs  ; 
and,  under  the  polished  beams  in  the  quaint  old  dining-room,  he  breakfasted, 
helping  his  guests  to  melons,  grapes,  and  chicken  in  the  most  polite  and  affable 
manner,  with  his  Avife  opposite,  in  pretty  morning-costume,  dispensing  coffee 
and  sweet  smiles,  on  the  morning  when  his  bargain  to  sell  his  countiy  for  ten 
thousand  pounds  sterling  came  to  naught.  Eveiy  schoolboy  since  his  time  has 
learned  the  story  by  heart.  Who  does  not  know  how  he  was  apprised  of  the 
capture  of  Andre,  and  with  what  celerity  he  made  his  escape  to  the  Vulture  ? 
The  scheme  of  Arnold  was  the  pivot  upon  Avhich  the  prospective  nation 
balanced.  Had  Andre  reached  New  York  accortling  to  the  programme,  our 
grandfathers  would  have  loomed  up  before  us  a  band  of  rebels,  instead  of  the 
founders  of  a  great  republic.  We  should  never  have  known  the  stuff  of  which 
they  were  made.  This  ancient  dwelling  stands,  like  a  triumphal  fiag-staff,  to 
mark  the  most  critical  moment  in  American  history,  and  it  has  become  dear  to 
the  pu1)lic  heart. 


26  '/■///■    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

It  was  tlie  heailtiiiai'tei's  (if  General  Putnam  t'nr  a  fonsidei'aMt'  jit^-iod.  l)r. 
Tliatc'licr,  in  liis  "Military  Joiifnal,"  desorilies  a  diniier-jiarty,  iriven  to  " tV)rty-( "ni' 
r<'spec-tal>le  otticeii? "  In'  Geiiefal  Muldenherir,  win)  occ'U]iied  the  southea-st  chain- 
l)er  of"  the  mansion  for  some  months.  He  was  the  clerical  Vii'irinia  soldier  who 
walked  into  liis  puljut  one  Sunday  morning  with  a  sword  and  cockade,  and 
preached  liis  farewell  sermon,  marching  next  (hiy  to  the  wars  at  the  head  of  a 
regiment.  The  l)an(|net  was  served  in  the  histoiical  diniiig-ri»>iii,  and  "  the  talile 
wa.s  furnished  with  fourteen  different  dishes,  arranged  in  fashionable  style.  X 
number  of  toa.sts  were  pronounced  "  ;  there  Avere  several  humorous  and  meny 
songs,  and  military  music  and  dancing  were  continued  through  half  the  night. 
Dinners  and  su])pers  were  often  given  at  "  Beverley"  in  a  sort  of  social  rotation 
by  the  various  officers.  To  accom[)lish  themselves  in  dancing,  they  employed  at 
one  time  the  celebrated  dancing-teacher,  !Mr.  John  Trotter.  He  is  re]>resented 
as  aljout  fifty  years  of  age,  small,  genteel,  well-])roportioned,  "every  limb  and 
joint  })roclaiming  tliat  he  wa.s  master  of  the  jirofession."  In  July,  1778,  men- 
tion is  made  of  a  notable  dinner  given  liere,  by  the  officers,  to  Colonel  Malcolm 
and  his  much-admired  wife.  The  guests  were  moi'e  mimerous  than  at  any  other 
entertainment  during  that  season,  one  third  of  them  being  ladies.  The  (juaint 
chronicler  remarks,  "The  cheering  glass  was  not  removed  till  evening,  when 
we  accompanied  those  from  West  Point  t(^  the  river-side,  and  finished  two  bot- 
tles of  port  on  board  their  baige." 

Major-General  Samuel  Holden  Parsons  was  quartered  at  "  Beverley  "  for  a 
considerable  period.  Dr.  Dwight  (afterw'ard  President  of  Yale  College)  was 
cha])lain  of  a  Connecticut  regiment,  stationed  at  West  Point,  dwelling  mean- 
while under  this  roof.  Here,  too,  lived  the  soldier-poet  Colonel  David  Hum- 
])hreys.  He  wa.s  an  aide  to  General  Putnam,  and  went  with  him  to  tlie  ti>p  of 
Sugar-loaf  Mountain  on  one  occasion,  where,  with  forty  men,  they  spent  two 
days  amusing  themselves  by  upsetting  a  ponderous  rock,  and  seeing  it  roU  in 
the  end  with  great  force,  cutting  a  singular  patlnvay  along  its  route,  until  it 
foun<l  a  I'esting-place  in  the  ])ed  of  the  river — toie  part  of  it  al)ove  watei-,  upon 
which  the  energetic  commander  climlied,  ami.  holding  a  glass  of  wine  above  his 
head,  gave  it  the  name  of  Putnam's  Rock. 

Colonel  Humphreys  wa.s  selected  a-s  aitle  to  Washington,  with  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-colonel,  in  \~x^\  remaininLT  as  such  to  the  eml  of  the  wai-.      It  was  he 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  o^ 

who  bore  the  captured  standards  from  Yorktown  to  Congress,  and  received 
from  that  dignified  body  a  handsome  sword  as  a  token  of  respect  for  his 
valor  and  distinguished  services.  He  subsequently  filled  important  positions  in 
the  Government.  He  was  minister  to  Portugal  and  to  Spain,  and  concluded 
treaties  ^vith  Tripoli  and  Algiers.  One  of  his  famous  poetical  productions  was 
conceived  upon  Sugar-loaf  summit.  The  incomparable  beauty  of  the  outlook — 
thirty  miles  or  more  of  landscape  diversified  with  lofty,  wood-crowned  moun- 
tains, ragged  cliffs,  frightful  precipices,  foaming  cascades,  darksome  gorges,  and, 
far  below  all,  the  Hudson  creeping  along  like  a  huge  canal  cut  through  a  con- 
fused jungle — inspired  the  prophetic  words — 

"  Columbia !  Columbia !  to  glory  arise, 
The  queen  of  the  world  and  the  child  of  the  skies." 

No  other  house  in  the  country  was  so  frequently  the  resort  of  Washington 
during  the  eight  years  which  "  tried  men's  soxils  "  as  "  Beverley."  Under  no 
other  roof  were  so  many  foreigners  of  distinction  sheltered  and  fed  from  time 
to  time.  And  all  of  the  illustrious  generals  of  the  anny,  as  well  as  the  great 
majority  of  the  statesmen  who  were  tinkering  at  the  foundation  of  the  new 
repubhc,  broke  bread  in  this  long-to-be-honored  dining-room. 

"  Beverley  "  was  in  the  possession  of  Richard  D.  Arden  for  many  years,  and 
he  did  himself  special  honor  by  permitting  no  alterations  in  the  interior  of  the 
mansion.  It  was  the  residence  of  his  son,  Lieutenant  Thomas  Arden,  late  of 
the  United  States  Army,  and  an  oflicer  in  the  Florida  war.  The  property  was 
purchased,  some  half  a  dozen  years  since,  by  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish,  -whose  o«ai 
pleasant  summer  home  is  but  a  few  yards  distant,  across  the  way.  The  name 
of  the  statesman,  and  his  well-known  historical  tastes,  are  a  suflicient  guarantee 
that  this  precious  relic  of  a  glorious  era  will  continue  to  be  protected  with 
scrupidous  care  from  the  march  of  modern  improvements. 

The  Yerplanck  homestead,  at  Fishkill,  is  one  of  the  oldest — probably  the 
oldest — of  the  homesteads  of  New  York.  The  site  was  purchased  in  1682, 
Gulian  Yei-planck  and  Francis  Rombouts  obtaining  a  deed  from  the  Indians  of 
seventy-six  thousand  acres  of  land,  described  as  extending  back  into  the  woods 
from  the  river  "  f ( )ur  hours'  going,"  or  sixteen  miles.     A  patent  was  issued  by 


28  Till-:  HOMES   OF  am?:riva. 

(iroveruor  Dongan,  })ut,  Mr.  Veiiilaiick  flying  in  tlie  mean  time,  Hon.  Stephanas 
Van  Coitlandt  was  ji)iued  with  Kombouts  ami  Jacob  Sliip  as  the  reju'esenta- 
tives  of  the  Verphxnck  lieii-s.  In  the  subsecpient  division  of  the  estate  the 
homestead  fell  to  the  children  <)f  Mr.  Verplanck,  and  has  ever  since  been  in  the 
family. 

The  honse  given  in  tlie  sketch  is  the  veritable  dwclliuL;-  erected  in  the  forest 
prior  t<i  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  ceutuiy.  It  is  a  combimition  of  stoue 
and  wood,  in  the  Dutch  style  of  architecture,  one  story  high,  with  gable-roof 
and  dormer-windows.  It  has  a  broad,  sheltering  piazza  on  both  the  east  and 
^vest  fronts  (which  are  neaily  alike),  covered  by  a  continuation  of  the  main 
roof.  It  stands  some  half  a  mile  from  the  river's  edge,  and  is  smrounded  l)y 
extensive  gardens,  handsome  laANiis,  and  broad,  green  fields,  dotted  Avith  clumps 
of  stately  trees,  save  to  the  south,  where  a  patch  of  the  primeval  thicket  I'emains 
to  this  day,  dense  enough  to  anilmsli  a  whole  tribe  of  the  original  lords  of  the 
liuuting-grounds.  It  is  api)r(>aLlie(l  by  a  private  avenue  from  the  main  road, 
three  fourths  of  a  mile  to  the  east. 

The  house  has  been  carefully  preserved,  with  all  its  antitpic  peculiarities. 
During  the  Revolution  it  was  the  scene  of  many  an  interesting  episocU-.  In 
1778  General  Lafayette  was  foi"  some  time  dangerously  sick  there  with  a 
fever,  and  was  attended  by  Dr.  John  Cochrane.  During  his  convalescence  he 
was  visited  by  Dr.  Thatcher,  who  says,  in  his  journal,  that  he  was  received  by 
the  Mar(iuis"ina  polite  and  affable  manner."  Long  before  then  wheat  had 
])een  shi])ped  from  this  place  to  France  and  exchanged  for  pure  wine,  with 
which  the  vaults  of  the  mansion  were  well  stocked,  and  it  was  cordially  be- 
stowed upon  the  young  nobleman  and  his  friends.  Dr.  Thatcher  describes 
Lafayette  as  elegant  in  figure,  with  an  "  interesting  face  of  perfect  .symmetry, 
and  a  fine,  animated  hazel  eye." 

It  was  the  head(juartei's  of  Baron  Steuben,  the  celelirated  Prussian  discipli- 
narian, at  the  same  time  that  AViushingtou  was  in  Newburg,  on  the  (.n)posite 
shore  of  the  Hudson.  It  was  during  that  most  ti'j'ing  period  of  the  Revolution, 
the  year  of  inactivity  of  Congress,  of  distress  all  over  the  country,  and  of  com- 
plaint, discontent,  and  almost  revolt  among  officei-s  and  soldiers  throughout  the 
army.  Barracks  extended  along  the  line  of  the  road,  south  of  Fishkill  village, 
for  a  mile  and  a  half,  beyond  which   there  were  a  few  log-houses,  where,  it  was 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


29 


said,  the  soldiers  were  sent  to  hide  when  their  c-lothes  t-onhl   l)e  mended  no 
longer  and  actually  fell  off  them. 

It  was  at  the  Vei-planck  homestead  that  the  idea  first  found  expression, 
which  was  pi'oposed  by  Colonel  Nicola,  on  behalf  of  himself  and  others,  to 


The     Vei'plaiick     House. 


Washington  at  Newburg,  that  he  (Washington)  should  be  made  King  of  the 
United  States,  for  the  "  national  advantage  "  !  It  is  said  that  Washington  was 
astonished  and  grieved,  and  severely  reprimanded  Nicola  for  entertaining  such 
a  thought  for  an  instant. 

Here,  too,  the  celebrated   Society  of  the  Cincinnati  A\as  organized.     The 


30  '/■///•.'    HOMES    OF   AMERH'A. 

meeting  toi)k  i)lace  on  the  i;3tli  of  May,  \~K\,  in  tlie  sijuare  room  to  the  north 
of  the  Ijroad  liall  wliich  nins  tliroui^h  the  house.  Baron  Steuben,  as  the  senior 
officer,  presided,  and  his  chair  Avas  jjlaced  between  the  two  windows  which 
appear  at  tlie  left  hand  of  tlie  Aoo\  in  the  sketch.  The  society  oritrinated  in 
the  mind  of  General  Knox,  its  object  being  to  cement  and  perpetuate  the 
friendship  of  its  foundei-s,  and  transmit  the  same  sentiment  to  their  descen- 
dants.    Washington  was  made  its  tii-st  president,  and  officiated  until  his  death. 

The  chaii-s  used  on  this  memorable  occasion  are  still  preserved.  Some  of 
them  are  of  \\ ood,  and  may  be  seen  upon  the  veranda  of  the  house.  Other 
articles  of  furniture,  rendered  piiceless  through  contact  with  illustrious  men, 
are  cherished  with  tender  reverence.  A  mahogany  sideboard,  dark  as  ebony 
fi'om  yeare,  stands  in  the  same  comer  of  the  dining-room  w  hicli  it  has  occupied 
for  a  centui-y.  It  seems  invested  with  tongues,  indeed,  and  harro\\  s  the  visit- 
or's mind  Avitli  the  eloquence,  wit,  learning,  magnetic  genius,  and  suqjrising 
wisdom  of  that  by-gone  and  golden  period. 

The  Vei-])lanck  family  are  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honorable  of  the  New 
York  families  of  Holland  origin.  Every  generation  has  jiroduced  its  good  and 
gifted  men.  Judge  Daniel  Cronnnelin  Verplanck  was  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  Congi'ess;  his  city  home  was  a  large,  yellow  bi-ick  mansion  in  AVall 
Street.  He  married  the  daughter  of  President  Johnson,  of  Columbia  College. 
His  father  was  Samuel  Vei'jilanck,  who  was  betrothed  to  his  cousin,  Jiiditli 
Ci'funmelin,  when  seven  years  of  age.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy 
banker  of  the  Huguenot  stock  in  Amsterdam.  When  the  young  man  was  of 
the  i)roper  age,  he  was  sent  to  make  the  toui' of  Kuioiic  ami  biiiiLi'  liomc  liis 
bride.  He  was  mamed  in  the  banker's  great  stone  house,  the  (U>ors  opening 
from  the  wide  marl)le  entrance-hall  ujion  a  fair  Dutch  garden.  The  counting- 
room  was  upon  one  side  of  the  passage,  and  the  diawing-i'ooiu,  bright  with 
gilding,  ujion  the  other.  The  lady  was  j)articularly  acconi])lished,  and  versed, 
not  only  in  the  several  modern  languages,  but  in  (ireek  and  Latin,  speaking 
the  latter  fluently. 

It  was  this  lady  who,  in  hei-  beautiful  old  age,  trained  her  gi-andson  Gulian, 
so  well  known  to  New  Yoi'k  iiolitical  and  social  life,  ami  to  all  lovers  of  Shake- 
speare, to  love  liooks  and  nIikIn.  SIic  taiiLilit  him,  when  a  iiuTe  bal)c.  to 
declaim    passatres   from    Latin   autluns,  standing  on  a  tai>l(',  and    icwarded    liim 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  31 

with  liot  pound-cake.  It  is  said  that  slie  used  to  put  sugar-plums  near  liis 
bedside,  to  be  at  baud  in  case  be  sbould  awake  and  take  a  fancy  to  repeat  bis 
lessons  in  tbe  nigbt.  Tbe  boy  was  a  bom  scbolar.  He  took  to  books  as  otber 
boys  take  to  marbles.  He  entered  Columbia  College  at  eleven.  The  tradition 
is  that  he  studied  Greek  lying  flat  on  the  floor,  wdth  his  thumb  in  his  mouth, 
and  the  fingers  of  the  other  hand  employed  in  testing  a  lock  of  the  brown 
hail"  on  his  forehead. 

He  rose  to  eminence  in  the  law,  iu  politics,  and  in  literature.  He  served  in 
the  State  Legislature,  and  was  sent  to  Congress.  One  of  his  chief  acts,  while 
in  the  councils  of  the  nation,  was  to  secure  the  passage  of  a  bill  (in  1831)  for 
the  additional  security  of  literary  property.  In  1834  he  was  the  Whig  candi- 
date for  Mayor  of  New  York,  but  Cornelius  W.  Lawrence,  the  Democratic  can- 
didate, was  elected  by  about  two  hundred  majority.  In  1855  he  was  made 
Vice-Chancellor  of  the  Board  of  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  He  was  also  one  of  the  six  gentlemen  "  of  the  very  highest  character  " 
who  foi-med  the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Emigration,  charged  mth  the  over- 
sight and  care  of  the  vast  influx  of  strangers  from  the  Old  World.  It  took 
eight  years  for  this  Board  (which  was  fi*ee  altogether  fi'om  party  influences)  to 
obtain  the  privilege  of  a  special  landing-place  for  immigrants.  Finally,  a  grant 
from  the  Legislature  enabled  them  to  lease  Castle  Garden  for  this  purpose. 
Mr.  Veq^lanck  ministered  to  the  public  weKare  in  innumerable  ways.  He  was 
a  trustee  of  the  Society  Lilwary,  and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Public  School 
Society.  He  was  an  author  of  no  little  distinction,  some  of  his  legal  wi-itings 
being  of  a  high  character,  and  he  was  editor  of  one  of  the  best  editions  of 
Shakespeare  printed  iu  this  country. 

He  spent  liis  summers  in  the  old  homestead,  and  it  was  here  that  some  of 
his  finest  literary  conceptions  saw  the  light.  He  entei-tained  generously ;  nearly 
all  of  the  celebiities  of  his  day  were  from  time  to  tune  invited  to  this  lovely 
retreat.  The  new  part  of  the  mansion,  of  which  the  sketch  reveals  a  suggestion 
to  the  left,  has  been  in  existence  about  seventy  years.  The  drawing-room  is  a 
model  of  elegance  and  good  taste  in  its  ai3j)ointments,  and  contains,  among 
other  relics,  some  fine  specimens  of  cut-glass  ornaments  from  the  "  Old  Walton 
House  "  in  New  York,  before  it  was  dismantled ;  also,  some  antique  vases  of 
great  beautv,  and  an  easy-chair  of  Walton  memory.     Another  heirloom  is  an 


32 


Till-:    HOMES     OF  A  M Kill <  A. 


aiiii-ili;iir  of  Bishop  Berkeley.  Few  houses  in  the  roiiiitiy  iri\ c  iiioiv  vivid  i-x- 
pressioii  to  the  life  and  character  of  its  several  (iiTU)iants,  or  air  liallowcd  hy 
more  varied  and  cliarniing  associations. 


The  trraiid  <il<l  manor-house  nf  flic 
\'an  Kensselaers,  at  .Vlhany,  was  Kuilt  in 
17(55,  as  the  successor  to  a  two-stoiy  lirick 
structure,  which  hatl  lu'cn  tlic  residence 
of  former  I'atroons.  'Hiis  link,  which 
connects  us  witli  tlic  old  feudal  institutions,  transfcrrcil  to  New  \"ork  from 
llcilland,   is  (if   luMW  ii-stimc.   with    I'odiin    wiuLis,   and    was   so   nnicli  finer  than 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  33 

any  other  dwelling  in  the  surrounding  country  at  the  time  of  its  erection, 
that  it  had  the  effect  of  a  palace.  Its  simple  architectural  elegance,  even 
now,  with  its  fine  park  and  magnificent  trees,  gives  it  an  aristocratic  air  in 
keeping  with  the  period  of  high-sounding  titles  and  lordly  possessions.  The 
Van  Rensselaer  manor  originally  comprised  about  seven  hundred  thousand 
acres,  and  such  were  its  prerogatives  of  sovereignty  and  baronial  appendages 
that  it  much  more  nearly  resembled  a  principality  than  we,  of  this  later 
generation,  are  wont  to  suspect.  It  seems  a  little  remarkable  that  a  republic, 
renowned  throughout  the  civilized  world  for  liberal  policy  and  religious  tol- 
eration, should  have  fostered  the  most  objectionable  features  of  feudal  des- 
potism; but  such  was  the  fact.  The  West  India  Company  regarded  the 
subject  only  in  a  commercial  light.  New  York,  as  a  plantation,  was  not  self- 
supporting — cvuTeut  expenses  were  more  than  the  receipts ;  and  none  of  the 
soil  was  yet  reclaimed,  except  a  few  acres  here  and  there  for  private  needs. 
Hence  in  1627  a  scheme  was  adopted,  known  as  a  charter  of  "Freedoms  and 
Exemptions,"  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  wealthy  individuals  to  become  great 
landholders,  and  lend  their  aid  in  the  peopling  of  the  wonderful  new  country. 

Among  the  oldest  and  richest  of  the  directors  of  the  company,  and  one  of 
its  most  active  founders,  was  Kiliau  Van  Rensselaer,  the  descendant  of  a  long 
line  of  honorable  ancestors,  and  an  educated  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  His 
owTi  vessels  had  often  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  corporation,  and  twice 
in  its  early  histoiy  he  had  advanced  money  to  save  its  credit.  It  is  a  romantic 
stoiy,  that  of  his  founding  the  great  New  York  manor  of  Rensselaerswick.  He 
piu'chased  through  agents  a  tract  of  land  forty-eight  miles  one  way  by  twenty- 
four  the  other,  and  sent  over  in  his  own  ships  planters  and  appurtenances. 
There  were  system  in  his  management,  and  order  and  method  in  the  entire  regu- 
lation of  the  little  baronial  colony,  which  grew  and  prospered,  while  the  rest  of 
the  province  was  in  a  state  of  tvu'moil  through  ineflicient  ralers  and  Indian  wars. 
He  appointed  his  own  civil,  military,  and  judiciary  officers,  planted  his  own 
cannon,  manned  by  his  own  soldiers,  and,  with  his  own  flag  waving  over  aE, 
justice  was  administered  in  his  name.  He  held  the  independent  power  of  an 
old  feudal  chieftain  within  his  territorial  limits ;  and  upon  this  manor  there 
were  at  one  time  several  thousand  tenants,  their  gatherings  something  like 
those   of   the    Scottish    clans.      When    a  Van   Rensselaer  died,  these   people 


34 


THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


swanntMl  ;il)<>iit  tlic  iiiaiior-liouse  to  do  honor  at  the  funeral.     Tliey  leiranled 
thf  Patiooii  witli  ivvt-nMR-e,  a  feeling  shared  by  the  whole  country. 

Jereiuia-s  Van  llens.selaer,  the  sou  of  Kilian,  waa  the  setond   Tatrddii,  and 


Hall,  Van   Rensselaer  Manor-House. 


presiih-d   adiniialily   over   the   manor  for  many  ' 

yeaix,   dying   in    l(i74.     He   was   a   singularly 

handsome  man,   judging   by  his   portrait.     He 

is  painted   in    a  richly  embroidered  waistcoat, 

and    large-cuffed,  much-befrogtjetl    velvet    coat,  "■ 

with  ruffles  about  his  well-shaped  hands.     His 

wig  is  densely  curled  and  powdered,  and  liis 

delicate  frills  and  necktie  .seem  to  indicatt'  that 

he  was  a  bit  of  a  dandy.     His  correspondence,  which  still  exists, 

and   enorniiius  industry.     He  wielded   great    influence.     His    wiT 

\'an    Ciirtlandt,   daU'.:liter  of  the   blue-blooded   ()l(ilV   Stevenseu  \':m  Curtlandt, 


shows  talent 
1'   was  ^laria 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  35 

and  sister  of  Steplianiis  Van  C'ortlandt,  who  founded  Cortlandt  manor,  which 
stretched  over  a  wide  extent  of  territoiy  in  the  region  of  the  Croton  River, 
resting  upon  the  Hudson. 

In  1764,  one  year  before  the  erection  of  the  manor-house  of  the  sketch,  was 
born  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  fifth  in  the  direct  line  from  Kilian,  and  the  last 
of  the  Patroons.  His  father  was  also  Stephen,  a  sterling  opposer  of  the  en- 
croachments of  the  Crown,  and  his  mother  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Philip 
Livingston,  who  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  was  graduated 
from.  Cambridge  -with  honors  in  1782  ;  and  was  known,  even  while  very  young, 
as  a  soldier,  patriot,  philanthropist,  and  Christian.  His  destiny  was  to  bridge 
over  the  chasm  between  the  two  opposite  political  systems.  Born  the  subject 
of  a  king,  himself  a  nobleman,  mth  immense  estates  and  baronial  privileges,  he 
favored  the  democratic  doctrine  that  all  men  are  ecpial,  and,  duiing  his  long, 
useful,  and  beautiful  life,  never  lamented  the  loss  of  his  power  and  circumstance. 

When  he  came  into  possession  of  his  vast  domains,  he  is  said  to  have  leased 
as  many  as  nine  hundred  farms,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  each,  on  long 
tenns.  He  was  much  in  public  life ;  was  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New  York  in 
1795  and  in  1798  ;  was  one  of  the  Canal  Commissioners,  riding  on  horseback  with 
De  Witt  Clinton  and  Gouvemeur  Morris  from  Albany  to  Lake  Erie  in  1810,  to 
exjDlore  the  route  of  the  Erie  Canal ;  was  major-general  of  the  State  militia  in 
1812 ;  and,  at  a  later  date,  was  Chancellor  of  the  New  York  State  University. 
He  also  represented  the  city  and  county  of  Albany  in  Congress  from  1823  to 
1829.  He  was  exceptionally  active  in  the  direction  of  agricultural  and  geologi- 
cal science,  and  gave  considei'able  sums  of  money  to  educational  institutions ; 
the  Dudley  Observatory  of  Albany  is  indebted  to  him  for  its  real  estate.  He 
was  President  of  the  second  oldest  Bible  Society  in  the  country,  and  one  of  its 
efficient  managers  through  life.  The  manor,  for  more  than  a  centuiy,  was  never 
without  a  representative  in  the  Colonial  Assembly  of  New  York,  and  this 
patriotic  family  never  furnished  a  member  who  was  not  notable  for  devotion  to 
America.  During  all  those  years  of  kingly  rule,  whenever  it  Avas  announced  in 
New  York  that  the  Patroon  Van  Rensselaer  was  coming  to  the  city  by  land, 
the  day  he  was  expected  crowds  would  tm-n  out  to  see  him  drive  through 
Broadway  with  his  coach  and  four,  as  if  he  were  a  prince  of  the  blood. 

Stephen,  the  last  Patroon,  was  a  man  of  tall,  commanding  presence,  with 


36  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

large,  dark,  exjiressive,  fascinating  eyes.  His  \\Me  was  Martraret,  daughter  of 
the  famous  General  Phili]>  Schiiyler.  At  his  death  in  1839  the  proiierty  way 
divided  among  his  nimierous  lineal  descendants.  His  son  Stephen  remodeled 
the  manor-house  in  1840,  the  only  radical  change,  however,  being  the  addition 
of  ^vings  to  the  main  edifice.  On  the  walls  of  the  great  hall  still  hangs  the 
paper  brought  from  Holland  more  than  a  centuiy  ago,  and  the  internal  archi- 
tecture of  the  original  edifice  remains  intact. 

The  Schuyler  mansion  at  Albany  was  built  about  1760  by  General  Philip 
Schuyler,  the  projirietor  of  the  "  noble  estate  in  Saratoga  "  so  often  spoken  of 
in  history,  and  which  was  desolated  by  Burgoyue.  It  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the 
domestic  architecture  of  the  countiy  at  the  period,  impressive  without  preten- 
sion upon  the  outside,  while  the  interior  is  rich  Avith  old-time  carving  and  orna- 
mentation, and  the  spacious  wainscoted  rooms  have  high  ceilings,  and  the  chim- 
ney-pieces are  finely  wTought  from  mantel  to  ceiling.  It  is  entered  at  the  front 
by  an  octagonal  vestibule,  handsomely  fashioned,  with  anticjue  doors  that  seem 
fitted  for  the  passage  of  stiff  brocades.  The  out-houses  Avere  spacious,  and  ex- 
tensive grounds  formerly  reached  to  the  river's  edge,  although  the  cutting  down 
of  Lansing  Street  gives  the  house  now  the  effect  of  being  ]ierched  in  the  air, 
and  is  attained  by  innxmierable  steps. 

No  name  is  more  familiar  to  the  readers  of  American  historj-  than  that  of 
Philiji  Schuvler.  He  was  the  great  Revolutionary  general,  and  a  chivalnnis, 
clever,  sagacious,  painstaking,  and  successful  man  of  aft'aii-s — one  of  those  to 
whom  the  country  owes  most  next  to  Washington  ;  one  who  sacrificed  immense- 
ly, bearing  the  pain  of  official  and  political  injustice  with  a  patience  that  was 
sublime.  He  came  of  a  gifted  race.  The  first  Schuyler  in  this  ct>uutry,  Philip 
Pietersen  Schuyler,  married  Margaretta,  daiighter  of  Hen"  Brandt  Arent  Van 
Slechtenhoi-st,  commander  of  Van  Rensselaer's  colony,  the  wedding  taking 
place  in  December,  1050;  the  lovei-s  were  each  twenty-two  years  old  at  the 
time.  Six  years  afterward  young  Schuyler  was  a  magistrate  and  ;i  iii.iii  of 
iiiiportaiK'c.  His  \\-ife  was  a  lady  of  great  mental  endowments  and  force  of 
character.  Their  ten  children  were  all  important  ac(|uisitions  to  the  forming 
society  of  New  York  :  (lertrude,  the  eldest  daughter,  became  the  ^\ife  <>f  the 
"Right  Himorable  Stei)haims  V;ni  ( 'ortlaiidt,"  and  one  of  the  leading  ladies  in 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


37 


The    Sehuyle 


the  "  court  circle "  of 
the  royal  Governor  of 
the  province  ;  Alida 
maiTied  first  Rev.  Nic- 

olaus  Van  Rensselaer,  the  son  of  the  first  Patioon,  and 
afterward  Robert  Livingston,  the  famous  founder  of  Liv-  '    ^ 

ingston  manor ;  Peter,  the  first  Mayor  of  Albany,  cele- 
brated for  having  taken  five  Mohawk  chiefs  to  the  Court  of  England, 
married  Maria,  daughter  of  Jeremias  Van  Rensselaer  and  Maria  Van  Cort- 
landt ;  Brandt  mai-ried  Cornelia  Van  Cortlandt,  and  settled  in  New  York 
City ;  Arent  piirchased  an  extensive  tract  of  land  on  the  Passaic  River,  and 
founded  the  New  Jersey  family  of  Schuylers,  of  which  the  mansion  in  the  ini- 
tial sketch  was  the  home,  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century ;  and  John, 
also  Mayor  of  Albany — from  1703  to  1706;  his  son  John  mamed  his  cousm 
Cornelia  Van  Cortlandt  (daughter  of  "  Right  Honorable  Stephanus  Van  Cort- 
landt ")  ;  these  latter  were  the  parents  of  Philip  Schuyler,  of  whom  the  dwelling 
illustrated  is  a  characteristic  monument.     In  him  all  the  ^^l•tues  and  talents  of 


38  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

not  only  the  Sehuylei-s,  but  the  Van  Rensselaei-s  and  Van  Cortlandts,  seemed 
to  fuhninate.  lie  was  educated  among  the  Huguenots  of  New  Rocheiie,  and 
afterward  \\'ent  through  the  rigorous  discipline  of  all  the  Schuylere,  learning 
the  Indian  language,  haljits,  and  peculiarities  of  the  Mohawks  in  their  o^^^l 
wilderness  st)litudes.  There  was  many  a  romantic  episode  in  the  Schuyler 
family ;  it  would  be  interesting  to  picture  one  and  another  of  those  energetic 
youths  who,  on  attaining  the  age  t)f  eighteen,  were  })resented  Avith  "a  canoe 
and  an  Indian  boy,"  and  politely  requested  by  not  too  indulgent  parents  to  go 
off  into  the  wilderness  and  prove  their  mettle.  Thus  they  studied  the  art  of 
woodcraft  under  these  primeval  teachers,  made  allies  of  the  men  of  the  Six 
Nations — heroes  who  were  not  unworthy  of  the  pictures  aftenvard  drawn  of 
them  by  novelist  and  painter.  The  Indians  came  to  Albany  once  a  year,  or 
more  frequently,  and  insisted  on  naming  all  the  children  of  the  Schuyler  blood. 
Among  those  who  received  this  savage  baptism  was  Mrs.  Alexander  Hamilton, 
whose  Indian  name  is  still  preserved  in  the  family.  She  was  Elizabeth,  daugh- 
tci-  of  General  Philip  Schuyler,  and  the  sister  of  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Ste- 
phen \"an  Rensselaer.  General  Schuyler  himself,  while  roaming  in  the  woods, 
exchanged  names  mth  two  great  chieftains. 

In  1753  General  Schuyler  was  a  gay  yoimg  society  devotee.  In  1755  he 
mamed  Cathaiine  Van  Rensselaer,  and  together  they  dispensed  a  princely 
hospitality,  fi'om  the  old  mansion  of  the  sketch,  for  upward  of  forty  years. 
Every  stranger  of  distinction,  passing  between  New  York  and  Canada,  was 
entertained  under  this  roof.  Here  Franklin  and  Charles  Carroll  were  housed 
and  cared  for  on  their  famous  mission  to  Canada ;  and  here  Burgoyne  found 
a  kindly  welcome  after  his  surrender.  It  was  the  scene  of  many  touchmg 
incidents.  One  of  its  "carvings,"  unintentionally  made,  remains  to  characterize 
the  stormy  times  which  the  family  lived  through.  It  is  the  mark  of  a  toma- 
hawk, thrown  by  a  hostile  Indian  at  the  ivtreating  figure  of  Miss  Margaret  Schuy- 
ler, afterward  the  ^\ife  of  Stephen  Van  Rensselaei-,  in  17.S1,  when  the  \\ar  was 
at  its  height.  A  party  of  Tories  conceived  the  idea  of  seizing  the  person  oi 
General  Schuyler,  and  carrying  him  off  a  piisoner  to  Canada.  A  man  named 
Wattemeyer,  assisted  by  Canadians  and  Indians,  made  the  assault.  The  Gen- 
eral was  forewarned,  but  not  so  \vcll  iiic])ai((l  but  that  his  assailants  gained  an 
entrance.     Gatherinir  his  family   into  an   uiipcr  room,  his  daugiiter  suddenly 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  39 

remembered  that  the  baby  liad  been  forgotten,  aud  was  on  the  ground-floor  in 
her  cradle  in  the  nursery.  She  rushed  back  with  impulsive  bravery,  caught 
her  infant  sister  in  her  arms,  and  bore  her  off  in  safety.  An  Indian  hurled  a 
sharp  tomahawk  at  her  as  she  ascended  the  stau's.  It  cut  her  dress  and  just 
escaped  the  child's  head,  striking  the  stair-rail,  the  scar  of  which  remains. 

This  youngest  daughter  of  the  General,  so  miraculously  saved  from  the 
tomahawk,  became  Mrs.  Cochrane,  of  Oswego.  She  had  the  singular  adventure, 
also,  of  meeting  at  the  communion-table  of  the  Episcopal  Church  at  Utica,  sixty 
years  after  her  father's  death,  two  full-blooded  Oneida  chiefs  by  the  name  of 
Schuyler,  descendants  of  those  who  had  exchanged  names  with  the  young 
Philip  in  1751. 

The  Schuyler  mansion  of  the  initial  sketch,  overlooking  the  Passaic,  oppo- 
site Belleville,  in  New  Jersey,  was  built  about  the  middle  of  the  last  centuiy. 
All  the  brick  used  in  its  constnictiou  was  imported  from  Holland,  and  the  mor- 
tar was  a  year  old.  Its  main  hall  is  twenty  or  more  feet  broad,  and  is  elaborately 
finished  with  anti(|ue  paneling.  The  staircase  is  after  the  fashion  of  those  in 
the  homes  of  the  Holland  gentry.  It  was  upon  this  old  estate  that  a  negro 
slave,  while  plo^ving,  found  a  curious  greenish  stone,  and  carried  it  to  his  master. 
It  was  sent  to  England  for  analyzatiou,  and  foiind  to  contain  eighty  per  cent,  of 
copper.  Schuyler  seized  upon  the  unexpected  avenue  to  wealth,  and  great 
quantities  of  ore  were  subsequently  shipped  to  the  Bristol  Copper  and  Brass 
Works  in  England.  In  1761  an  engine  was  imported  to  facilitate  operations, 
and  the  mines  were  vigorously  worked  up  to  the  time  of  the  Revolution. 

Arent  Schuyler,  the  founder  of  the  New  Jersey  branch  of  the  Schuyler 
family,  had  tvv^o  sous.  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler  and  Colonel  John  Schuyler,  both 
men  of  mark.  Colonel  Peter  distinguished  himself  in  the  French  war,  and  was 
one  of  the  heroes  who  entered  Montreal  on  its  surrender  to  the  Biitish  in  1760. 
His  daughter  Catharine  was  the  first  wife  of  Archibald  Kennedy,  Earl  of  Casse- 
lis.  Colonel  John  lived  in  the  mansion  on  the  Passaic  in  the  time  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  was  the  owner  of  fifty  or  sixty  negro  slaves.  A  visitor  during  that 
period  describes  the  eminences,  groves,  lawns,  ornamental  gardens,  and  deer- 
parks  containing  "  one  hundred  and  sixty  head  of  deer,"  as  exceptionally  mag- 
nificent. The  illustration  represents  the  house  as  it  ajipeared  at  that  time.  It 
has  long  since  passed  out  of  the  Schuyler  family,  and  has  been  the  subject  of 


40  Till-:    HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 

modern   iiiiiiroveineiit   until   vi-iy  little  of  antiiiuity  is  written   ujxni   the  face 
of  it. 

The  country  lioine  of  the  Van  Coi-tlandts,  so  intimately  counecteil  with  the 
Schuylei-s  and  ^'an  Keusselaers  througli  intermarriages  in  nearly  every  genera- 
tion, appeal's  also  in  the  initial  sketch.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  mansions  on  the 
Hudson,  Ijuilt  about  the  beginning  of  the  la.st  century.  Its  solid  walls  of  gray 
stone,  three  feet  in  thickness,  were  pierced  with  loopholes  for  musketiy,  it 
having  been  designed  as  a  fort  in  ease  of  hostilities  with  the  Indians.  Some 
of  these  may  yet  be  seen  in  the  rear  walls.  It  has  a  high  basement,  a  second 
stoiy,  Avhich  includes  the  principal  apartments,  and  a  thiid,  lighted  by  donner- 
windows.  Around  the  front  and  ends  of  the  mansion  is  a  broad  veranda, 
shaded  by  trailing  vines.  The  Van  Cortlandt  domain,  including  eighty-three 
thousand  acres  piirchased  from  the  Indians,  was  erected  into  the  lordshij)  and 
manor  of  Cortlandt  l)y  I'oyal  charter,  bearing  date  June  17,  1<','.)7,  which  charter, 
written  upon  })archment,  is  still  preserved.  The  first  lord  t)f  the  manor  was 
Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt,  who  was  Mayor  of  the  city  of  New  York  for  several 
years,  and  a  leading  man  in  the  Governor's  Council.  lie  married  Gertrude 
Schuyler,  the  sister  of  Petei-,  first  Mayor  of  Albany,  and  of  Arent,  on  the  Pas- 
saic. He  was  the  son  of  Oloff  Stevensen  Van  Cortlandt,  the  first  of  the  name 
in  America,  a  descendant  of  the  Dukes  of  Courland  in  Russia.  This  vast  estate 
was  ecpially  divided  among  the  heirs  in  1734.  To  Philij),  the  eldest  surviving 
son  of  8tei)hanus,  fell  the  dwelling  of  the  sketch.  His  fifth  son,  Pierre,  the 
first  Lieutenant-(Jovernor  of  New  York  as  a  State,  and  \\ho  filled  the  office  for 
eighteen  successive  years,  xdtimately  became  the  pro]>rietoi'  oi  the  home  jirop- 
erty.  He  extended  the  hospitalities  of  the  mansion  to  nearly  all  the  great  men 
of  the  period  for  more  than  half  a  century.  B^ew  houses  in  America  are  more 
notal)le  for  the  distinction  of  its  occupants  and  guests.  It  is  still  the  home  of 
the  Van  Coitlandts,  extensive  modern  aiUlitions  and  improvements  having  been 
added  to  the  aiiti(iue  Structure. 

No  two  races  of  men  could  be  more  ditferent  than  the  XewY'orkers  of  the 
Colonial  jiei'iod,  with  tlicii-  lordships  stiTtclif(l  along  the  lliulson  ami  far  into 
the  interior  of  the  inhabitable  portion  of  the  State  (as  also  over  a  greatei-  jioi'- 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


41 


tion  of  the  territory  of  Long  Island),  and  the  people  of  New  England,  who, 
descended  from  the  choice  sons  of  European  culture,  and  wedded  to  their 
schools  and  colleges,  cherished  a  higher  respect  for  poetry  and  philosophy,  and 
all  that  appertained  to  religious  rhapsody,  than  for  temporal  aggrandizement. 
And  the  contrast  in  the  habits  of  thought  and  modes  of  living  between  the  two 
provinces  is  nowhere  more  distinctly  apparent  than  in  their  old,  time-worn 
mansions.     The  Puritans  fro^viied  u^^on  all  exterior  show.     Ai'chitectural  oma- 


Point,     Maine. 


mentation  in  New  England  was  tabooed  alike  •with  high-sounding  titles.  The 
men  of  quality  were  self-respectful,  fenced  in  with  more  ceremonial  than  we 
have  been  led  to  believe.  The  wholesome  traditions  of  msdom  pervaded  the 
veiy  air,  and  Homer  and  Horace  were  quoted  by  boys  at  the  plow.  Enough 
foreign  refinement  was  imported  to  humanize,  while  conceits  of  every  kind 
flomished,  and  the  necessities  for  perj)etual  labor  pinched  the  mind.  Time 
insensibly  softened  the  asperities  of  Puritanism,  while  foreign  luxuiy  i-eached 


42  THE    HOMES     OF  AMEIiK'A. 

the  Blue  Hills  in  iusufticieut  (quantities  to  work  the  mischief  of  connip- 
tion. 

A  fair  example  of  the  country-houses  of  early  New  England  is  that  of  Su- 
William  Pepperell,  at  Kittery's  Point,  Maine.  It  has  l)een  curtailed  some  ten 
feet  at  either  end  t>f  its  original  proportions  ^\•ithin  the  past  few  years ;  thus  it 
must  once  have  contained  as  many  apartments  as  a  good-sized  iiotel.  The 
southern  part  of  the  mansion  was  built  l)y  the  father  of  the  concjueror  of  Louis- 
burg,  and  the  north  end  was  added  by  Sir  William.  Until  the  death  of  the 
elder  Pepperell,  in  1734,  the  families  of  b()th  father  and  son  occupied  the 
dwelling,  which  accounts  for  its  extension  and  miiltitudinous  rooms.  The  lawn 
in  front  reached  to  the  sea,  and  an  avenue,  a  (juarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  skirted 
by  tall,  branching  trees,  conducted  to  the  house  of  Colonel  Sparhawk,  east  of 
the  village  church.  Commonplace  as  the  house  seems  in  the  })icture,  it  repre- 
sents one  of  the  largest  fortunes  of  the  Colonial  period  of  New  England.  It 
was  an  old  saying  that  Sir  William  could  drive  to  the  Saco,  thirty  miles  distant 
from  his  home,  Avithout  going  off  his  own  possessions. 

The  baronetcy,  extinct  vdih.  Sir  William,  Avas  reAnved  l>y  the  King  for  the 
benefit  of  his  grandson,  who,  being  a  loyalist,  went  to  England  in  1775,  and 
the  immense  estates  in  Maine  and  elsewhere  were  confiscated.  The  last  baronet 
is  the  prominent  figure  in  AVest's  "  Reception  of  the  American  Loyalists  by 
Great  Britain."  The  poet  Longfellow  has  a  painting  by  Copley,  representing 
children  in  a  park,  the  portraits  being  those  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Royall 
Peppeiell.  The  romantic  spot — Kitteiy's  Point — is  often  mentioned  in  Whit- 
tier's  verse.  The  Wew  from  the  Pepperell  house  is  superb;  as  many  as  a  hun- 
dred sail  are  often  riding  at  anchor  in  sight,  the  haven  being  the  usual  refuge 
for  coasters  caught  along-shore  in  a  northeaster. 

The  patriarch  of  New  England  houses,  one  of  the  firet,  if  not  the  veiy  first, 
erected  ^Aathin  the  government  of  John  AVinthroji,  and  which  accident  has 
kindly  left  untouched  until  the  present  day,  is  the  Craddock  house,  in  Med- 
ford,  Massachusetts.  It  is  l)elieved  to  be  the  oldest  building  in  the  United 
States  retaining  its  original  fonn.  It  is  a  uni(jue  specimen  of  the  early  domes- 
tic architecture  of  the  Puritans.  Iloaiy  with  age,  it  is  yet  no  luin,  l)ut  a  com- 
fortable habitation.     Like  a  veteran  of  many  campaigns,  it  shows  ;i  few  Ikuku'- 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


•43 


able  scars.  Tlie  roof  lias  swerved  a  little  from  its  tnie  outline.  It  has  been 
denuded  of  a  cliimney,  and  has  parted  with  a  favorite  dormer-mudow.  The 
loopholes  seen  in  the  fi'out  were  long  since  closed ;  the  race  of  Indians  they 


The    Craddoek    House,     Medford,     Massachusetts. 


were  to  defend  against  having  scarcely  an  existence  to-day.  The  ^nndows  have 
been  enlarged,  vdth  an  effect  of  rouging  the  cheeks  of  one's  grandmother — if 
we  may  indulge  in  the  figure  of  speech  of  a  well-knovni  writer.    And  the  mnds 


44  '/'///■■    HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 

have  held   high  (.aniival   in  its  ohl   chimneys  for  two  liundred  aud  fi)i-ty-odd 
New  Eughind  winters  without  disturbing  its  et^uaniniity. 

It  is  supposed  to  have  been  Ijuilt  about  1634,  as  that  wa.s  the  date  of  a 
larfije  grant  of  land  to  Matthew  Craddock,  governor  of  a  commercial  company 
in  England,  who  was  trying  to  secure  the  emigration  of  such  men  as  Endicott, 
Winthrop,  Dudley,  Sii-  Richard  Saltonstall,  and  othere.  He  was  the  wealthiest 
and  most  impoi-tant  man  connected  with  the  settlement  of  Massachusetts.  In 
l)uil(liug  this  house  he  probably  intended  it  for  his  future  residence,  although 
events  subsequently  prevented  him  from  coming  to  Ameiica.  He  sent  over 
builders  from  England,  who  followed  English  types  in  the  constniction  of  the 
editice.  The  bricks  were  burned  specially  for  the  purpose.  There  was  some 
attempt  at  ornament,  the  lower  course  of  the  belt  being  laid  with  molded 
biicks,  so  as  to  form  a  cornice.  The  walls  were  half  "a  yard  in  thickness,  and 
hea^'y  iron  bars  secured  the  arched  windows  at  the  back ;  and  the  entrance-door 
was  incased  in  iron.  The  fire-proof  closets,  huge  chimney-stacks,  and  massive 
hewed  timbers,  remind  us  of  houses  on  the  Scottish  border.  The  loopholes  and 
narrow  windows  were  planned  ^vith  direct  reference  to  the  puiposes  of  a  foi-tress. 
A  single  pane  of  glass,  set  in  iioii,  and  placed  in  the  back-wall  of  the  westeni 
chimnev,  t»verlooked  the  approach  from  the  town.  The  lavish  expenditure  of 
('ra(l( lock's  agent  elicited  a  sound  rebuke  from  the  straitlaced  AVinthrop,  who 
Iniilt  his  own  house  of  wood.  And,  again,  when  the  blue-blooded  Deputy. 
Govenioi-  Dudlev  exercised  a  little  more  costly  taste  upon  the  house  he  was  to 
live  in  than  Winthrop,  the  Governor-in-chief,  had  done  before  him,  high  Avords 
fell  thick  and  fast  about  his  head  for  such  uiu-casonalilc  (Hitlay. 

A  eentuiy  younger,  and  yet  In'istling  \\itli  antitiuity,  is  the  niansiun  known 
as  "  Hobgoblin  Hall,"  on  the  old  Boston  road,  some  half  mile  from  Medford 
village.  It  was  built  l)y  Isaac  Royall,  an  Antigua  merchant,  in  1738.  Its  archi- 
tecture is  singularly  suggestive.  It  almost  brings  into  full  view  the  good- 
humored,  luxury-loving,  contented  man  of  fine  tastes  and  an  ovei-flo^ving  pui-se, 
who  completed  the  well-rounded  yeai-s  of  his  life  under  its  roof.  It  was  built 
of  brick,  three  stories  high,  the  upper  tier  of  windows  smaller  than  tliosc  under- 
neath, and  was  sheathed  entirely  in  wood,  except  on  one  end.  It  was  fashioned 
after  the  palace  of  a  nobleman  in  Antigua.     The  spaces  below  the  windows  on 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  45 

the  eastern  front  were  filled  in  with  panels,  giving  the  effect  of  coliimns  rising 
fi"om  ground  to  cornice.  And  the  western  front  was  still  more  highly  orna- 
mented, although  tiu'ued  away  from  the  street.  Spacious  groimds,  laid  out  with 
precision,  A\'ere  separated  from  the  highway  by  a  brick  wall,  the  gateway  of 
Avhieh  was  flanked  by  tall  wooden  columns.  A  camage-drive,  bordered  wdth 
box,  tenninated  in  a  courtyard  at  the  west  of  the  mansion,  near  which  were  the 
stables  and  the  slave-quarters.  A  two-story  brick  building  still  remaining  is 
the  last  \asible  relic  of  slaveiy  in  New  England. 

The  hall  of  entrance,  with  elaborately  carved  balusters  and  paneled  wain- 
scoting, retains  somewhat  of  the  atmosphere  of  former  grandeur.  To  the  right 
are  a  suite  of  drawing-rooms,  separated  by  an  arch  in  which  slidiug-doors  are 
concealed.  From  floor  to  ceiling  the  walls  are  paneled  in  wood,  the  panels 
being  of  single  pieces,  some  of  them  a  yard  in  breadth.  In  the  rear  of  these 
apartments  are  two  alcoves,  each  flanked  b}^  fluted  pilasters,  supporting  an  arch 
enriched  ^^^th  moldings  and  carved  ornaments,  and  in  the  recesses  are  broad 
window-seats.  The  chambers  are  large  and  numerous,  all  opening  into  a  spa- 
cious and  airy  haE.  The  one  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  mansion  has 
alcoves  corresponding  with  those  in  the  parlor  beneath ;  but,  instead  of  pan- 
eled waEs,  it  is  finished  above  the  wainscot  with  a  covering  of  leather,  on 
which  are  painted,  in  gorgeous  colors,  flowers,  bii'ds,  and  Chinese  characters. 
The  original  windows,  with  the  small  glass  and  heavy  frames,  appear  in  this 
apartment — j^anes  that  quivered  at  the  fierce  cannonade  of  the  Revolutionaiy 
outbreak. 

The  kitchen  has  an  enormous  brick  oven,  still  in  perfect  repair,  with  an  iron 
chimney-back,  upon  which  the  Royall  family  anns  are  embossed.  And  the 
dining-room  has  its  sideboard,  which  old-time  hospitality  garnished  with  de- 
canters of  choice  wines.  The  garden-front  of  the  house  overlooks  an  arched 
gateway,  leading  into  what  was  in  those  olden  times  a  beautiful  garden,  some 
of  its  box-trees  and  clumps  of  lilacs  still  to  be  seen.  At  the  end  of  a  graveled 
walk  is  an  artificial  mound  ^with  two  terraces,  ujion  which  stands  one  of  the 
most  unique  of  summer-houses,  a  figure  of  Mercuiy  poised  on  its  summit.  This 
little  structure,  a  veritable  cuiiosity,  displays  much  beauty  of  design ;  no  one 
but  an  artist  could  have  shaped  its  panels,  its  fluted  Ionic  pilasters,  and  its  bell- 
shaj^ed  roof.     A  trap-door  in  the  floor  discloses  a  cellar  for  ice.     But,  when  the 


4r> 


THE    nOMESl    OF  AMEUTrA. 


(laiiLiliteis  of  the  West  Iiulia  iialiob  were  coui'teil  by  (Teorire   En-iiig  and  Sir 
A\  illiam  Pepperell,  it  is  hardJ}'  probable  that  the  mysteries  and  tricks  of  archi- 


Hobgoblin     Hull,     Mcdfurd,     MasisuL-liuseUs. 


tecture  were  unriddled  to  their  comprehension      It  w  as  just  the  place  for  a  ten- 
dor  declaration.      Its  ])ictures(|ue  romance  would   liavclx'cn  cliillcd   beyond  re- 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  47 

coveiy  bad  tlie  ardeut  lover  learned  tliat  it  was  au  artfid  combination  of  beauty 
and  utility — in  short,  an  ice-liouse. 

Isaac  Royall  the  first  was  succeeded  by  Isaac  Royall  the  second,  who  lived 
iu  as  much  state  as  his  sire.  His  sister  married  Colonel  Vassal,  who  dwelt  in 
the  old  mansion  at  Cambridge,  now  the  home  of  Heniy  W.  Longfellow,  the 
poet.  Royall  was  an  intimate  of  governors  and  grandees,  and  one  day  he  drove 
in  his  coach  to  Boston,  and,  while  sipping  his  Madeii-a  ^vith  some  of  the  choice 
spirits  of  the  towTi,  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  was  received.  He  was 
afi'aid  to  return  home.  He  never  saw  his  handsome  old  house  again.  He  was 
shut  up  in  Boston  for  long  and  weary  months,  and,  when  the  British  anuy  went 
to  Halifax,  he  was  one  of  the  unhappy  refugees  who  was  obliged  to  go  also. 
He  went  to  England  finally,  where  he  died,  endeavoring  to  the  last  to  prevent 
the  forfeiture  of  his  estate.  He  was  a  large-hearted,  benevolent  man,  as  his 
many  bequests  pro^'e.  The  Royall  Professorship  of  Law  at  Harvard  was 
founded  through  his  bounty. 

This  old  mansion,  "svith  its  appointments  and  its  slaves,  attracted  General 
Charles  Lee,  that  prince  of  egotists,  ^vho  aimed  to  supplant  Washington — the 
man  "  full  of  strange  oaths,"  with  a  huge  nose,  satirical  mouth,  and  restless 
eyes,  who  sat  upon  his  horse  like  a  fox-hunter,  and  was  so  slovenly  in  his 
habits  that  nobody  grieved  at  his  absence ;  with  a  pack  of  yelping  curs  at  his 
heels,  he  took  possession,  and  ordered  the  wondering  negroes  about  mth  lordly 
airs.  It  was  he  who  first  called  it  "  Hobgoblin  Hall."  Washington,  not  pleased 
that  Lee  should  take  up  his  quarters  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  left  wing  of  the 
army,  ordered  him  to  retiu'n  to  duty.  General  Sullivan  was  shortly  allured  by 
the  same  grand  old  house,  but  was  scarcely  settled  when  his  aide-de-camp  handed 
him  a  letter  from  the  commander-in-chief,  which  caused  him  to  change  his  quar- 
ters ^nth  celerity. 

The  ancient  Quincy  mansion  is  less  curiously  antique  than  those  we  have 
sketched,  but  is  a  characteristic  specimen  of  colonial  architectiu'e  in  New  Eng- 
land. It  was  built  in  1770  by  Colonel  Josiah  Quincy,  on  ground  purchased  of 
the  local  Indian  sachem  as  early  as  1635,  by  Edmund  Quincy,  of  England. 
The  estate  has  ever  since  remained  in  the  family.  In  four  successive  genera- 
tions a  son  has  borne  the  name  of  Josiah,  two  of  whom  wei'e  Mavors  of  Boston, 


48 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


one  the  President  of  Harvard  Collefre,  and  all  of  tlieui  niorc  or  less  distiniruislied 
in  political  life.  The  liouse  was  ])laced  upon  a  beautiful  knoll,  at  the  extremity 
of  tlie  noblest  ])rivate  estate  in  Massachusetts.  Fi\c  luuidred  broad  acres  of 
meadow  and  woodland  surrounding  it  give  the  idea  i»f  an  English  park  come 


Quincy     Mansion,    Quincy,     Massachusetts. 


down  l)y  entail  since  the  Coucjuest.  A  wide,  leafy  avenue  leads  from  the  high- 
road to  the  mansion,  from  which  are  charming  glimpses  of  the  sea,  of  Boston 
Harbor  and  its  islan<ls,  and  of  the  countless  white  sails  continually  winging 
their  way  into  port. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  49 

Colonel  Josiali  Quiucy,  the  designer  and  builder  of  this  house,  occupied  it 
during  Washington's  investment  of  Boston.  He  rode  often  to  camp,  with 
projects  for  driving  the  British  ships  to  sea,  or  sinking  them  in  the  bottom  of  the 
harbor.  When  the  fleet  was  at  last  under  full  sail,  flying  hence,  he  scratched 
the  date  mth  a  diamond  on  the  window-pane.  Samuel  A.  Drake,  in  describing 
a  visit  to  the  Quincy  mansion  in  1875,  says:  "When  I  was  faii-ly  within  the 
house,  which  is  furnished  as  houses  were  furnished  a  centuiy  ago — where  an- 
tique-dressed portraits  looked  do^vn  from  the  walls,  and  where  sedan-chairs 
in  cool  cori-idors  invited  to  post-prandial  naps— I  felt  that  modern  life  had  little 
right  to  intrade  itself  into  such  a  place.  Eveiy  visitor,  I  would  suggest,  should 
be  required  to  don  a  powdered  periwig,  laced  coat,  and  silk  stockings,  in  oi'der 
that  the  prevailing  idea  may  not  be  disturbed.  The  fragrance  of  the  old  life 
and  manners  still  lingered  about  those  wainscoted  apartments,  and  a  half- 
hour's  visit  converted  the  imaginaiy  into  the  real.  How  quaint  are  those 
entries  in  John  Adams's  diary:  'Drank  tea  at  Grandfather  Quincy's,'  or, 
'  Spent  the  evening  at  Colonel  Quincy's  mth  Colonel  Lincoln ' !  The  men 
talked  politics,  and  the  ladies  talked  about  the  fashions  by  the  last  London 
packet.  Both  the  Adamses,  father  and  son,  frequented  this  house.  Here  Hull, 
after  destroying  the  Guerriere,  and  here  Decatur,  were  entertained." 

Scientists  are  sometimes  fond  of  deducing  a  connection  between  the  charac- 
ter of  a  people  and  the  structure  of  that  portion  of  the  earth's  ciiist  which  they 
inhabit.  England  has  been  called  a  lump  of  chalk ;  New  England  might  ap- 
propriately be  styled  a  block  of  granite,  since  it  seems  to  be  such,  thinly  cov- 
ered with  soil,  through  which  the  harder  substance  is  contiuuaEy  cropping  out. 
Quincy,  for  instance,  which  owes  its  name  to  its  old  distinguished  family,  is 
almost  a  soKd  mass  of  granite,  hard,  inflexible,  and  insusceptible  to  polish ;  but 
strong,  valuable,  and  enduring.  The  same  adjectives  might  with  grace  be  ap- 
plied to  its  human  products.  No  other  town  in  America  can  boast  of  being 
the  birthplace  of  two  Presidents  of  the  United  States.  No  roadside  walls  and 
building  foundations  of  conglomerate  in  the  land  are  more  typical  of  the  un- 
aesthetic  but  well-balanced  Puritan  character  than  those  found  in  Quincy.  No 
succession  of  illustrious  men  have  been  better  kno^vu  and  appi-eciated,  and 
more  honored  and  glorified  by  a  grateful  people,  than  the  Quincys  and  Adamses 
of  this  famous  nook  of  creation.     It  was  here,  also,  that  the  first  railway  (of 


50  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

any  note)  in  America  was  put  in  operation.  This  was  in  1S2().  The  rails 
were  wooden,  plated  \\'ith  iron,  and  laid  on  blocks  of  stone,  the  trautie  ])ein.<i 
six  feet.  It  was  projected  to  remove  tlie  Lrraiiiti'  I'oi-  tlic  IJuiikcr  Hill  Moini- 
ment.  The  carnages  weighed  about  six  tons,  and,  when  loaded  with  twenty 
tons  of  stone,  were  easily  drawn  over  the  tramway  ])y  one  lioi-se. 

The  Adams  mansion,  intimately  interwoven  with  the  public  and  private 
lives  of  the  two  Presidents,  and  now  occupied  as  the  sunnner  home  of  lion. 
Charles  Francis  Adams,  built  long  before  the  Revolution,  will  be  found  upon  a 
futui-e  page.  Two  liumbk"  cottages,  at  the  foot  of  Penn's  Hill,  ai-e  pointed  out 
as  the  l)irth})laces  of  the  father  and  son  who  figured  so  conspicuously  before  the 
world.  From  the  eminence  beyond  these,  John  Quincy  Adams  and  his  accom- 
plished mother  watclied  the  smoke  arising  from  burning  Charlcstowii  on  the 
day  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

The  settlement  of  the  western  part  of  Massachusetts  was  much  later  than 
that  of  the  eastern.  The  stony  hills  of  Hampshire  County  reposed  in  solitude 
until  a  slioi't  time  before  the  war.  The  pioneers  of  a  large  tract  in  the  high- 
land legion,  ])etween  the  Connecticut  and  Housatonic,  were  Jacob  Nash,  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Tliomas  Nash,  the  English  poet  and  pamphleteer,  and  Rev. 
Moses  Hallock.  The  fonner  had  obtained  a  grant  from  the  Government,  the 
latter  was  an  energetic  theological  gi'aduate.  A  to^vn  was  laid  out,  which  was 
named  Cunniiington  ;  but  after  a  few  years  the  portion  where  the  Nashes  and 
Hallocks  had  settled  was  converted  into  a  new  toANii,  and  called  Plaintield. 
The  houses  built  upon  tlicsc  hills  were  of  the  most  substantial  ehai-acter,  and 
the  tallest  and  trimmest  of  the  ti'ees  of  the  forest  were  placed  in  rows  before 
them,  like  sentinels  on  duty.  A  quaint  meeting-house  lifted  its  belfiy  into 
the  sky,  and  a  handsome  curtained  pulpit,  under  an  enomious  sounding-board, 
was  occupied  over  haK  a  centurj'  by  the  excellent  divine  who  had  been  its 
associate  founder  and  builder.  Ebenezer  Snell,  a  stem  old  Puritan  magistrate, 
built  the  house  of  the  sketch,  upon  a  hill  some  two  miles  from  the  homes  of 
Hallock  and  Nash,  and  in  sight  of  the  meeting-house ;  but  the  dividing  line  of 
the  two  towns  ran  between,  and  he  lived  in  Ciunmington.  Di'.  Petei-  Biyant, 
the  first  physician  in  that  region,  a  man  of  rare  scholastic  attaimnents,  married 
the  daughter  of  Sipiiro  Snell,  as  lie  was  popularly  called,  and  through  her  the 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


51 


house  came  into  liis  possession,  and  has  since  been  known  as  the  "Biyant 
homestead." 

This  was  the  birthpLace  of  William  Cullen  Biyant,  in    1794.     He  was  a 


The    Bryant    Homestead,    Cummington,    Massachusetts. 


precocious  boy,  some  of  his  verses  finding  their  way  into  print  Ijefore  he  was 
ten  years  old.  Every  inilueuce  in  all  that  region  tended  toward  the  develop- 
ment of  his  intellect.  The  families  were  Avell  educated  with  whom  he  would 
naturally  come  in  contact,  superior  indeed  in  mind  and  character  to  the  average 
people  of  their  time.  He  traced  much  of  his  taste  for  study  to  the  instruction, 
example,  and  encouragement  of  both  his  parents.  Schools  were  few,  and  he 
was  taught  chiefly  at  home.  But  the  learned  Plainfield  minister,  Moses  Hal- 
lock,  taught  a  school  in  his  own  dwelling,  in  whicli  the  future  poet  received  his 
final  preparation  for  Williams  College,  his  classmates  being  the  sons  of  his  pre- 


52  THE   HOMES    OF   AMERTCA. 

ceptor,  Rev.  Dr.  AVilliain  A.  Ilallock,  the  u:ieat  head  of  the  American  Tract 
Society;  (tirard  Ilallock,  one  of  tlie  founders  of  the  "Journal  of  Commerce"; 
Arviii  Nash,  the  oidy  son  of  Jacob  Nash,  together  with  Williani  and  James 
Richards,  the  distini,aii.><hed  missicmaries  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  Ceylon, 
and  otliei-s  who  have  since  lield  important  trusts  in  Chuich  and  State. 

A  few  yeai-s  ago  the  poet  purchased  his  youthful  home,  atid  fitted  it  uj) 
for  a  siunmer  residence,  visiting  it  every  season,  for  a  brief  period,  l)efoi-e 
taking  up  his  more  })ermanent  abode  at  "Cedannere,"  in  Roslyn,  Long  Island. 
It  was  while  on  a  visit  to  this  last-named  ])oetical  hoiuc  that  a  wcllkiidwii 
author,  referring  to  the  leafy  and  pictures(pie  hillside  at  the  east  of  tlic 
mansion,  wrote :  "I  was  reminded — perhaps  through  the  conversation,  wliii'h 
touched  lightly  upon  New  England  scenes  and  the  modes  of  life  in  dittVient 
countries — of  another  hill,  less  accessible  and  more  innnethodical,  of  a  winding 
road  up  its  jolting  steeps,  and  of  a  bevy  of  rollicking  boys  and  girls,  who  once 
took  a  surreptitious  journey  over  it  in  a  baker's  Avagon,  to  see  the  Itii-thplace  of 
the  author  of  'Monument  Mountain.'  It  was  during  the  noon  recess  of  a 
Plainfield  school.  The  baker  had  left  his  horse  and  wagon  under  a  shed  in  the 
vicinity,  while  he  went  to  his  diiinei'.  The  distance  was  less  than  three  miles, 
and  the  exploit  might  possibly  have  been  accomplished  within  the  hour,  but  the 
horse  was  lame.  The  pine  bread-boxes  were  sli2)pery  also,  and  precicms  time 
was  wasted  by  the  frequent  spilling  of  the  restless  fi-eight,  and  the  fishing  of  it 
up  again.  The  rising  cart,  like  a  beehive  on  wheels,  rose  in  the  end  to  the  very 
summit  of  juvenile  hopes,  but,  through  unskillful  management  in  tni'iiing,  was 
most  ignominiously  upset.  Luckily  no  bones  were  bi'oken,  but  a  subdued  liand 
of  culjirits  were  arraigned  and  tried  before  an  indignant  and  outi'aged  teacher 
a.s  the  afternoon  waned." 

The  writer,  who  thus  in  childhood  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  jioet's 
mountain  home,  testifies  to  the  intellectual  stinuilus  of  an  atmosjJiere  ^\hicll 
has  fostered  the  g]"OA\i;li  of  more  theologians  than  any  other  area  of  counti-y 
of  ecpial  dimensions  on  this  continent.  And  the  simple  and  un2)retending 
architecture  thereabouts,  with  its  secure,  rocky  foundation  and  solid  masoni'y, 
is  a  monumental  index  to  the  t)qie  of  scholarly  men  who  first  tilled  the  soil 
of  the  region,  and  laid  the  cnrner-stnnes  of  elnirehes  and  schools  so  piolitic  In 
results. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  53 

The  McCurdy  mansiou  in  Lyme,  on  tlie  Connecticut  River,  illustrated  in 
our  initial  cut,  is  a  good  example  of  the  colonial  homes  in  that  portion  of  New 
England.  It  was  built  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  and  is  one  of  the 
oldest  dwellings  in  the  State ;  rarely  another  in  the  countiy  has  been  protected 
with  more  generous  care.  It  was  purchased  in  1750  by  John  McCurdy,  a 
Scotch-Irish  gentleman  of  wealth  and  education,  engaged  in  foreign  shipping. 
Its  antique  features  are  even  now  its  chief  charm.  It  has  low  ceilings  with 
bare,  polished  beams,  and  its  doors  and  windows  are  elaborately  carved  and 
paneled.  In  the  south  parlor  is  a  curious  buffet,  built  with  the  house,  which  is 
appropriately  devoted  to  a  choice  collection  of  specimens  of  China  fi'om  ances- 
tral families — the  Wolcotts,  Griswolds,  Digbys,  Willoughbys,  Ogdens,  Pitkens, 
Mitchells,  Diodatis,  and  others,  and  is  rich  with  historical  interest.  The  whole 
house,  indeed,  is  a  museum  of  souvenirs  of  former  generations.  The  round  table 
is  here  which  descended  from  Governor  Matthew  and  Ursula  Wolcott  Griswold, 
around  which  gathered  from  time  to  time  the  eleven  governors  of  the  family. 

John  McCurdy  had  no  sympathy  with  the  arljitrary  measures  of  the  English 
Government,  and  gloried  in  the  Revolution.  His  home  was  the  scene  of  many 
earnest  conferences  and  discussions.  It  was  under  this  roof  that  Rev.  Stephen 
Johnson,  the  Lyme  pastor,  wrote  the  first  published  article  pointing  toward 
unqualified  I'ebelHon  in  the  colonies,  in  case  an  attempt  was  made  to  enforce 
the  Stamp  Act,  and  McCurdy  privately  paid  the  printer  a  handsome  sum  for 
its  issue.  It  was  here  that  Lafayette  was  entertained  for  several  days  when  the 
French  army  passed  through  the  State  during  the  Revolution,  and  also  in 
1825,  while  on  his  memorable  journey  to  Boston,  Richard,  the  son  of  John 
McCurdy,  being  then  the  proprietor  of  the  old  homestead.  The  mansiou  is 
now  the  residence  of  Charles  Johnson  McCurdy,  the  son  of  Richard,  and  grand- 
son of  John  McCurdy  of  the  Revolution,  who  is  a  well-known  jurist  of  emi- 
nence, for  many  years  in  the  Connecticut  Legislature,  Speaker  of  the  House, 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State,  United  States  Minister  to  Austria,  and  for  a 
long  period  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  It  was  he  who,  when  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  Connecticut,  in  1848,  originated  and  carried  into  effect  through  the 
Legislature  that  great  change  in  the  common  law  by  which  parties  may  become 
witnesses  in  their  own  cases — a  change  which  has  since  been  adopted  through- 
out this  country  and  in  Eno-land. 


54 


THE   HOMES     OE  AMElilCA. 


Of  (juaint  aiul  commonplace  aichitecturc  jicculiar  to  the  agricultural  dis- 
ti-icts  of  New  Englaiul,  and  noticeable  throughout  the  eastern  extremity  of 
Long  Island,  is  the  picturesque,  old,  shingled  cottage  where  John  Howard 
Pa}iie,  author  of  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  passed  his  boyhood.  It  is  situated  in 
the  village  of  East  Hampton.  The  beautiful  island  where  John  Lion  Gardiner 
founded  the  first  of  all  the  New  York  manors — that  of  Gardiner's  Island — in 
1639,  is  in  the  same  towiiship.  Ea.'it  Hampton  is  notaljle  for  having  been  the  resi- 
dence for  twelve  years  of  Lyman  Beecher.     The  Payne  House  is  a  homely  home. 


but  suirgestive  of  the  tender  impulses  and  feelings  that  breathe  from  one  of 
the  best-kno\vii  and  best-loved  lyrics  ni  oui-  language.  The  ancestors  of  Payne 
were  men  of  eminence.    His  father  was  educated  as  a  physician  under  the  illus 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  55 

trious  Joseph  Warren,  who  fell  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  But,  owing  to 
the  couditiou  of  the  country,  he  adopted  the  profession  of  a  teacher,  in  which 
he  attained  distinction.  Thus  must  Ave  read  men's  lives  backward  if  we  would 
know  the  metal  of  which  they  are  made.  John  Howard  Payne  was  bom  in 
1792,  and  was  the  eldest  of  nine  precocious  children;  one  of  his  sisters,  at  the 
age  of  foiu-teen,  after  eight  days'  study  of  the  Latin  language,  underwent  an 
examination  by  the  classical  professors  of  Harvard  College,  and  displayed  re- 
markable skill.  The  life  of  the  poet  was  one  of  vai'iety  and  travel,  of  effort 
and  disappointment,  and  of  productions  of  genius  which  made  the  fortunes  of 
many  people,  although  not  of  himself.     But  the  memories  of  his 

" .  .  .  .  lowly  thatched  cottage," 

crystallizing  into  the  sweetest  of  verse,  have  thrilled  the  world,  exj^ressing  the 
memories  of  millions.  The  old  house  is  one  of  the  precious  relics  of  the  past, 
which  is  elot|uent  in  its  own  behalf,  and  shoidd  be  preserved  as  a  sacred  duty. 

The  first  peopling  of  Virginia  was  by  the  average  Cavaliers  of  the  day,  under 
the  direction  of  higher  grades  of  mind,  and  there  were  soon  present  a  large 
array  of  men  of  education,  property,  and  condition.  "  Greenway  Court  "  was 
the  wilderness  home  of  Lord  Fairfax,  the  proprietor  of  about  one  fourth  of  the 
State  of  Virginia  at  an  early  day.  He  was  an  eccentric  nobleman,  descended 
from  the  old  Scotch-English  knight.  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax,  and  disappointed  to 
his  heart's  core  in  fortune  and  in  love.  Educated  at  Oxford,  -svith  brilliant 
prospects,  he  floated  on  the  restless  current  of  London  life  for  a  time,  in  inti- 
mate association  mtli  Addison  and  Steele,  and  other  notables  of  theu-  day  and 
generation.  At  last  he  became  entangled  in  one  of  those  affairs  which  shape 
the  destinies  of  men.  He  fell  in  love  with  a  beauty  of  the  court,  paid  his  ad- 
di'esses  to  her  in  due  form,  and  was  engaged  to  be  married.  He  was  in  raptures. 
The  day  was  fixed  for  the  ceremony.  He  spent  money  lavishly  for  the  occasion ; 
coaches,  horses,  jewels,  costly  presents  of  all  descriptions  were  commanded. 
The  blissful  moment  was  near  at  hand.  But,  alas  !  the  young  lady  changed  her 
mind.  A  ducal  coronet  was  held  up  to  her  view  by  a  rival,  and  she  jilted  Lord 
Fairfax,  who  retu-ed  to  the  new  country  of  deer  and  wolves,  a  bitter  cynic  and 


56 


Tin-:    HOMES    OF   AMERKW. 


woiiian-liater  to  tlit*  day  »'f  his  death.     Ik'  l)uried   liiiiisclf  in   tlic  vast  wilder- 
ness where  fans  never  tlirted  nor  ribbons  fluttered. 

The  hinds  whic  h  lie  possessed  were  an  inhci-itanee  from  his  niotlier,  the 
daiitrhter  of  Lord  Culiu'iijier.  They  were  comparatively  unexjiloretl,  but  com- 
prised rivers,  bays,  mountains,  rich  lowlands,  breezy  ui>lands,  forests,  mines, 
towns,  and  w  ild  beasts  enough  to  have  submerged  all  the  tine  estates  of  the 


Greenway    Court. 


w'liole  race  of  Fairfaxes  in  England.  But  his  Virginia  jirincipality  was  not 
sufficient  to  make  him  happy.  He  simply  existed.  His  days  were  spent  in 
reading,  hunting,  and  dreaming.  Tall,  swarthy,  resei-ved,  and  w  itli  no  adjuncts 
of  ])lace  or  power,  he  nevertheless  preserved  considerable  state  and  dignity. 
As  chief  magistrate  of  the  county,  he  rode  to  court  in  a  chariot  dra^vn  by  foui- 
hoi-ses,  usually  wrapped  in  a  rich  red  \el\ ct  cloak.  "  (xreenway  Coui't "  was 
one  of  the  early  liaTUits  of  Wasliiiigtoii,    when   a   pale-face(l   youth   of  sixteen. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  57 

aiul  for  long  after  he  ^vas  chosen  to  survey  Lord  Faii-fax's  vast  possessions. 
The  house  stood  a  fe^v  miles  from  the  Shenandoah,  and  not  far  from  the  base 
of  the  Blue  Ridge,  in  the  midst  of  beauties  of  landscape  which  the  pen  fails  to 
reproduce.  When  the  Revolutiou  came,  the  boy  surveyor  was  made  command- 
er-iu-chief  of  the  American  army.  "What  Lord  Fairfax  thought,"  writes 
John  Esteu  Cooke,  "  is  not  kno\\Ti ;  but  one  last  incident  connects  him  with  the 
ruddy  boy  In  1781  the  Earl  was  at  Winchester,  when  a  sudden  commotion 
seized  upon  the  people ;  lie  inquired  its  meaning,  and  was  informed  that  Lord 
Corn\\"allis  had  surrendered  his  army,  at  Yorkto-\\Ti,  to  General  George  Wash- 
ington, who  had  thus  terminated  the  ^var,  and  secured  the  liberties  of  North 
America.  At  this  intelligence  the  aged  Earl  stood  aghast.  The  curly  pate 
whom  he  had  taken  by  the  hand,  trained  for  the  struggles  of  life,  and  molded 
for  his  work,  had  effected  that  work — the  boy  to  whom  he  had  paid  '  a  doubloon 
a  dav,'  had  ended  by  overturning  the  British  dominion  in  the  Western  Conti- 
nent. 

"  Lord  Fairfax  is  said  to  have  uttered  a  groan,  exclaiming  to  his  old  body- 
servant  : 

" '  Take  me  to  bed,  Joe— it  is  time  for  me  to  die  ! ' 

"  In  tnith,  the  blow  seems  to  have  been  heavier  than  the  gray-haired  Earl 
had  the  strength  to  bear.  The  fatal  news  reached  him  in  October,  1781,  and  a 
few  months  afterward  he  was  dead — passing  away  like  a  relic  of  the  Old  World 
just  as  the  New  World  daA^Tied." 

The  region  of  the  James  River  was  the  one  first  settled  in  Virginia,  and  is 
the  most  rich  in  antique  homesteads.  They  possess  little  beauty  of  architecture, 
but  have  wide  portals,  grand  staircases,  lofty  ceilings,  and  not  infrequently 
elaborate  carvings.  The  Virginia  planters  were  fond  of  coaches  and  six,  costly 
wines,  silk  stockings,  hair-powder,  coats-of-anns,  and  family  importance.  Their 
dwellings  were  roomy,  and  surrounded  by  fine  trees  and  stretches  of  la-\\ii,  and 
to  many  of  them  were  attached  whole  villages  of  smaller  houses,  foiTuerly  occu 
pied  by  hundi-eds  of  slaves. 

"  Westover"  is  a  fine  example  of  this  class  of  homes.  It  dates  back  to  1700. 
The  gateways  bear  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  Byrds,  one  of  the  good  old  Virginia 
families  of  their  day.     C-olonel  William  Byrd  was  the  perfect  t}-pe  of  a  Vir- 


58 


riip:  HOMES  of  ameiuca. 


giiiia  planter — stately,  witty,  distin,i(iiislie(l,  of  great  pei-soiial  beauty,  ami  reign- 
ing like  an  English  peer  over  at  least  one  hundred  thousand  of  the  best  acres 
in  America.     Both  the  cities  of  Richmond  and  Manchester  are  built  upon  land 


Westover,    oil    the    James    luver,    Virginia. 


once  ])elonging  to  this  estate.  The  house  is  plain,  with  the  exception  of  carved 
wainscoting,  cornices,  and  mantel-pieces  of  e.xceptional  elegance.  The  entrance- 
hall  extends  through  the  mansion,  and  the  library  and  dining-room  abound  with 
evidences  of  wealth  and  taste.  A  broad  staircase  leads  to  ui>])cr  apariTnents 
which  are  decorated  in  the  same  manner  as  those  upon  the  lower  tloor.  The 
stables  are  reached  through  a  lofty  gateway,  the  brick  pillai-s  of  wliuli  are 
cro\\med  each  with  a  martlet — the  crest  of  the  family — and  near  a  chuui)  of 
trees  is  the  graveyard,  where  the  Byrds  and  their  relations,  the  Harrisons, 
repose  beneatli  nld  tombs  covered  Avith  inscrii)tioiis  and  arms.  One  of  tliese 
monuments  bears  tlic  following  tribute  to  Colonel    Byrd,  who  was  for  thii-ty- 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


59 


seven  years  receiver-general  of  the  king's  revenue  in  Virginia,  and  for  some 
time  president  of  the  Governor's  Council,  and  reputed  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
personages  of  his  generation  :  "  The  well-bred  gentleman  and  polite  companion, 
the  splendid  economist  and  pinident  father  of  a  family,  the  constant  enemy  of 
all  exorbitant  power,  and  hearty  friend  to  the  liberties  of  his  country," 

His  death  occurred  in  1744,  at  the  age  of  seventy.  His  daughter,  Eveljni 
Byrd,  has  given  her  name  to  countless  lovely  descendants  in  Virginia.  Her 
portrait  is  that  of  a  young  lady  of  sweet  seventeen,  with  curling  hair,  a  com- 
plexion all  roses,  a  smile  of  exquisite  innocence,  and  a  neck  as  white  and  gi-ace- 
ful  a.s  a  swan's.  She  is  in  a  l)eautifully  fitting  blue-silk  dress,  which  reveals  to 
great  advantage  her  slender,  graceful  figui'e. 


•is-4 


Mayeox, 


The  seat  of  the  Harrisons  is  but  a  step  to  the  south  of  "  Westovei',"  and 
bears  the  ancient  name  of  "  Maycox."  The  present  mansion  replaces  the  ori- 
ginal dwelling  of  the  pioneer,  which  was  one  of  the  oldest  in  Virginia.    A  little 


60 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


farther  on  is  "  Shirley,"  the  estate  of  the  old  and  worthy  Carter  family;  and 
also  "  Berkeley,"  where  President  William  Ileuiy  Harrison  was  born. 

"Powhatan,"  the  seat  of  the  old  and  respectable  family  of  the  Mayos,  was 
long  supposed  tn  ha\  c  been  the  scene  of  Smith's  rescue  by  Pocahontas.    Minute 


Powhatan    Seat,    on    the    Jnmes    River,     Virginia. 


investigation  has  discovered  the  fact,  liowevei',  that  this  i'anioiis  ineident  took 
place  (if  at  all)  on  the  ])anks  of  the  Yoik,  in  (iloucester;  l)ut  it  is  clearly  estab- 
lished that  the  great  Indian  enii)eror  Powhatan  had  a  hunting-lodge,  or  sunniier 
residence,  near  or  at  this  spot,  and  the  locality  thus  possesses  great  historic 
attraction. 

Descending  the  livei-,  the  traveler  finds  himself  arrested  at  every  steji  by 
ol)jects  of  anti(|uarian  interest  in  the  sha])e  of  old  houses,  who.se  ancient  apjjear- 
ance  aiul  I'ieh  inteii:;il  (h'coiatioiis  of  a  long-]ia.-<t  fashion  i-ecall  tlie  ]iast  and  the 
famous   men   who   inhabited    theiii.       ( )ii    the   south    Itank,    in    Chestertield,    is 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  61 

"  Comptliill,"  the  residence  of  tlie  ouce  celebrated  Archibald  Gary,  heir-appar- 
ent, when  he  died,  to  the  barony  of  Hunsdon,  and  called  "  Old  Iron " ;  who, 
when  the  project  of  making  Patrick  Henry  dictator  was  agitated  during  the 
Revolution,  said  to  Henry's  brother-in-law,  "  Tell  your  brother,  from  me,  that 
my  dagger  shall  be  in  his  heart  before  the  sunset  of  that  day  !  "  "  Compthill " 
is  still  standing,  and  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  the  old  Virginia  mansion,  with 
its  gracefid  windows,  heavy  carving,  and  durable  walls,  and,  if  spared  by  fire,  is 
apt  to  stand  for  centuries  still. 

"  Gunston  Hall,"  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  a  few  miles  below  Mount 
Vernon,  represents  a  style  of  architecture  in  which  all  the  main  apartments  are 
on  one  floor.  It  is  a  brick  structure,  with  cut-stone  ornaments  over  the  win- 
dows and  the  angles  of  the  walls.  The  roof  is  immensely  large  and  sharp- 
pointed,  with  four  tall  chimneys,  which  are  visible  from  a  considerable  distance, 
and  five  dormer-windows.  The  porch  is  half  octagonal  in  shajie,  and  aged  in 
the  extreme ;  its  steps,  worn  mth  the  feet  of  many  generations,  are  almost  hol- 
lowed out.  The  broad  hall,  which  has  always  been  a  lounging-place  for  the 
family  and  guests,  is  wainscoted  and  paneled  in  durable  North  Carolina  pine. 
The  baluster  to  its  wide  stau'case  is  of  solid  mahogany,  carved  with  graceful 
designs.  The  drawing-room  is  ornamented  with  curious  cai-vings,  the  work,  ac- 
cording to  tradition,  of  convicts  sent  from  England.  The  doors  are  of  mahog- 
any, "with  carved  panels,  bordered  by  ornamental  frames.  The  whole  interior, 
indeed,  is  a  mass  of  wainscoting,  paneling,  carvings  in  pine,  mahogany,  and 
other  woods — dark,  antique,  durable,  and  suggestive  of  another  age  and  another 
race  than  ours — the  decorations  being  a  combination  of  the  Coiinthian  and  the 
flower-and-scroU  work  of  the  old  French  architecture.  And  no  better  example 
can  lie  found  of  the  architectural  tastes  of  the  wealthier  Virginians  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  When  this  house  was  in  its  prime,  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
in  Washington,  was  an  alder-thicket ;  there  were  no  railways,  no  telegraphs,  no 
gas,  no  morning  newspapers ;  men  traveled  in  stage-coaches,  or  great,  lumbering 
private  chariots,  tlra^\Ti  by  four  or  six  horses,  over  rough  and  uneven  roads ; 
they  burned  wax  or  tallow  candles,  and  sent  to  London  for  every  suit  of  clothes, 
new  book,  or  bottle  of  -wine,  they  happened  to  want.  In  the  mean  time  log- 
fires  blazed  in  huge  fireplaces,  and  long  tables  groaned  under  a  profusion  of 


62 


777^   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


everythinij  eatable  and  driiikaljle ;  attentive  aucl  well-trained  servants  stood 
ready  to  obey  the  least  ^\^sll  at  a  nod,  and  comfort  and  happiness  wa-s  the  rule. 
The  chief  interest  which  hovei-s  about  "  Gunston  Hall,"  in  an  historic  point 
of  view,  is  its  havinsr  been  the  residence  of  George  Mason,  author  of  the  famous 
"  Bill  of  Rights,"  which  was  in  some  respects  as  remarkable  a  paper  as  the 


GuM-tijil      H:.ll.      Vll-ijl 


Declaration  of  IinlfpciKlciicc.  He  was  desciMidiMl  in  tlic  dii't'ct  line  from  Colo- 
nel George  Mason,  a  member  of  Parliament  in  the  reign  of  C'liai'les  I.,  who, 
when  the  civil  war  liroke  out,  joined  the  king's  stan(hird,  and  afterward  fought 
under  Charles  II.  at  Worcester.  'J'lic  result  of  that  battle  was  the  luiii  of  tlie 
royal  cause,  and  Mason,  unitating  his  sovereign,  escaped  from  the  Held  disguised 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  (33 

as  a  peasant.  Virginia  was  then  regai'ded  as  the  haven  of  all  distressed  Cava- 
liei-s,  and  hither  he  fled.  Settling  himself  upon  the  Potomac  and  building 
"  Gunston  Hall,"  he  cultivated  the  land,  raised  thorough-bred  horses  and  fat 
cattle,  kept  open  house,  taking  part  in  pulilic  affairs,  and  was  a  general  favorite 
the  country  through. 

When  the  struggle  with  England  began,  the  master  of  "  Gunston  Hall," 
the  George  Mason  first  mentioned,  Avas  selected  by  such  men  as  Randoljih,  Jef- 
ferson, Pendleton,  and  Patrick  Henry,  to  draw  up  the  Virginia  Charter.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  a  man  in  middle  life,  with  a  proud 
and  composed  bearing,  a  face  bro-\\aied  \\\\X\  sun  and  -vWnd,  and  dark,  severely 
sad  eyes.  The  expression  of  the  lips  and  chin  in  his  portrait  indicates  unmistak- 
ably a  resolute  character.  The  costume  is  very  rich.  The  hand,  over  which 
falls  a  fine  lace  cuff,  is  thrust  into  an  opening  in  the  waistcoat,  embroidered 
heavily  with  "gold  lace,"  and  the  whole  effect  is  that  of  a  handsome  and 
attractive  personage.  He  was  intimate  mth  Washington,  Avho  was  a  neigh- 
bor, interchanging  informal  visits,  and  often  hunting  together.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  convictions,  shown  by  his  separating  from  Washington  and  the 
others,  when  the  United  States  Constitution  was  formed.  He  opposed  it,  and 
one  day  a  neighbor  stopped  at  "Gunston  Hall,"  to  inform  him  that  there 
was  so  much  indignation  felt  against  him  in  Alexandria  that  they  spoke  of 
mobbing  him  if  he  made  his  appearance  there.  This  aroused  Mason's  ire, 
and  he  mounted  his  horse,  rode  to  Alexandria,  and,  pushing  his  way  through 
the  assembled  crowd — for  it  was  court-day — said  to  the  sheriff',  "  Mr.  Sheriff, 
will  you  make  proclamation  that  George  Mason  will  address  the  people?" 
Proclamation  Avas  at  once  made,  and,  standing  on  the  steps  of  the  court-house, 
he,  with  all  the  fire  of  youth,  dissected  and  denounced  the  Constitution  as 
the  sum  of  every  evil.  He  was  not  interrupted,  and,  haAdng  "  said  his  say," 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  back  to  "  Gunston."  One  brief  anecdote  illus- 
trates the  character  of  this  stately  old  planter,  who  possessed  humor  as  well 
as  "  biting  criticism."  It  was  related  by  the  late  Senator  James  M.  Mason,  a 
brave,  generous,  and  high-toned  gentleman,  as  well  as  an  eminent  statesman — 
himself  a  descendant  of  the  first  of  the  name  of  Gunston.  George  Mason  was 
a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and,  in  accordance  wth  an  old  custom,  "  ran 
for  the  House "  in  Stafford  County,  where  he  was  born,  instead  of  Fairfax, 


64  THE    TTOME>^    OF  AMERICA. 

where  he  resided.     This  ailorded  occasion  for  Dick ,  a  neisxhlxM"  unfriendly 

to  him,  to  sav,  "It  is  vciy  well  for  Colonel  Mason  not  to  run  in  Fairfax,  as  the 
people  well  know  that  his  mind  is  failing  liiin  frmn  aLfc."  ]\Iasnn  heard  of  the 
speech. 

"Perha])s  I   am  declining,"  he  said,  with  a  grim  smile.     "I  am   ceitaiidy 

growing  old,  and  my  mind  may  be  failing  fi'om  age.     But  Dick has  in  ///.s 

cji.se  one  consolation,  at  least.  AVhen  h'lK  mind  fails  \\\\\\,  tiolxxlij  will  ever  din- 
cover  it !  " 

He  died  in  1  T'.'i',  aftei'  which  "  Gunston  Hall "  passed  out  of  the  Mason 
family,  who  had  held  it  for  six  generations.  It  lias  within  a  few  yeais  l)een 
jiuivliased  by  Colonel  Edward  Daniels,  who  has  restored  it  to  something  of  its 
former  elegance. 

Mount  Vernon,  reposing  peacefully  upon  the  Virginia  shore  of  the  beau- 
tiful river,  is  more  tenderly  familiar  to  the  |iublir  eye  llian  any  other  of  the 
Colonial  homes  of  America.  The  estate,  consisting  originally  of  twenty-five 
hundred  acres,  wa.s  one  of  the  various  ])ieces  of  ])i-oi>ei-ty  which  tlie  father  of 
George  Washington  possessed  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  174."{,  and  was 
be(|ueatlied  to  his  eldest  son,  Lawrence  Washington,  who  \vas  somewhat  of  a 
military  genius,  connnanding  a  battalion  of  Americans  under  Admii'al  Vernon 
at  Carthagena  in  174n.  Returning  liomc,  he  married  one  of  the  lovely  daugli- 
ters  of  AVilliam  Faii-fax,  an  opulent  English  gentleman  of  noble  lineage,  who 
had  been  his  militaiy  a.ssociate  in  the  Sjtanish  war,  and  who  resided  on  the 
neighboring  estate  of  "  I'elvoir,"  some  eight  miles  from  his  own  legacy,  which, 
in  honor  of  the  popular  naval  hei'o,  he  called  ISbmnt  Vei'iion.  Ujhmi  a  swell- 
ing; height,  crowne<l  with  trees,  and  connnanding  a  magnificent  view  of  the 
Potomac  for  twenty  or  thiily  miles  up  and  down,  and  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive landsca})es  in  the  world,  he  built  the  nnuision  of  the  sketch.  Here  (Jeorge 
Washington  came,  a  jirecocious  boy  from  school,  and  here  he  made  the  ac(inaint- 
ance  of  the  eccentiic  nolileman,  Lord  l-'aii-fax  (the  guest  of  William  Fairfax), 
whose  vast  domain  was  yet  unsurveyed,  and  who  subse(iuently  took  up  his 
abode  at  "  Greenway  Court."  Here,  too,  the  youthful  (leorge  fii'st  fell  in  love, 
if  we  may  credit  ti'a<lition,  and  his  own  crude  vei'se,  which  describes  a  "low- 
land beauty."     The  son   ol"  the  jii-o|iiietnr  of  "  I?t'lvoir,"  (ieoige  AVilliani  Fair- 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


65 


fax,  mariied  the  daughtei  of  CV)lonel 
C'aiey,  of  Hampton,  and  bi  ought  his 
biide  and  her  sister  home  to  his  fa- 
thei  's  house ;  the  lattei  ^\  as  the  ob- 
ject of  the  sentimental  attachment 
to  ^\hich  reference  is  made.  This 
maiden  has,  by  some  wi'iters,  been 
identified  with  another,  the  lady 
whom  Colonel  Lee  married ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the  suscep- 
tible youth  was  in  love  with  both. 

In  1751  George  Washington  accompanied  his  brother  Lawrence  to  Barba- 
does,  whither  the  latter  repaired  for  the  recovery  of  his  health.  Shortly  after 
his  return  to  Virginia,  in  1752,  Lawrence  Washington  died,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 


66  THE    TTO^rES    OF  AMERICA. 

foiir,  leaviiii;  his  large  fortime  to  an  infant  daughter,  wlio  did  not  long  surxnve 
him.  By  mil  this  j)roperty  was  given  to  Geoi'ge  in  the  event  of  the  child's 
death.  And  here  George  Washington  settled  when  his  sendees  in  the  French 
war  were  no  longer  required,  and  here  he  broiight  his  bride,  ]\Irs.  Martha  ("iis- 
tis,  in  1759.  For  fifteen  yeai*s  he  dwelt  in  peace  and  plenty,  with  innumerable 
slaves  cultivating  his  lordly  and  extensive  plantation,  and  his  home  the  seat  of 
a  high-bied  and  courtly  hospitality.  He  built  wings  to  the  mansion,  and  greatly 
enlarged  and  embellished  the  estate.  He  planted  trees  with  his  own  hands, 
many  of  which  are  now  pointed  out  to  visitors.  His  gardens,  seed-houses,  tool- 
houses,  and  cottages  for  negroes,  were  perfect  in  theii'  way,  and  the  Avinding 
\valks  through  the  grounds,  trodden  by  illustrious  personages  from  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic,  may  yet  be  traced. 

During  the  Revolution,  Washington  A'isited  INIoimt  Vernon  but  once,  and 
then  took  it  directly  in  his  way  to  Yorktowni,  in  company  with  the  Count  de 
Rochambeau.  But  at  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1783,  he  retired  to  its  iin  itiiig 
precincts,  where  he  remained  until  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  in  1 789. 

The  house  is  of  wood,  cut  in  imitation  of  stone,  ninety-six  feet  long,  with 
a  2)ortico  extending  the  entii-e  length,  and  siii'inountcd  l»y  a  cu})ola.  It  fronts 
the  northwest,  the  rear  looking  to^vard  the  i-iver.  The  rooms  are  many,  but 
not  large,  with  the  exception  of  the  great  dining-room,  added  by  the  illustrious 
jDroprietor.  The  mantel  of  this  room  was  carved  in  Italy,  and  presented  to 
Washington  ;  ami  ujion  the  wall  hangs  the  painting  by  Rembrandt  Peale  of 
"Washington  before  Yorktown."  In  the  west  parlor  hangs  an  old  painting 
representing  the  attack  on  Carthagena  by  Admiral  Vernon. 

In  1791  Washington  made  a  toiir  through  the  Southern  States,  his  equi- 
page consisting  of  a  chariot  and  four  hoi"ses,  a  light  baggage-wagon  and  two 
horses,  four  saddle-horses,  besides  one  led  for  the  President  himseK,  and  five 
servants,  a  valet  fie  dtamhre,  two  footmen,  a  coachman,  and  a  postilion.  He 
left  Philadelphia  just  after  the  meeting  of  Congress  in  ^larch,  and  was  five 
days  in  reaching  Annapolis.  The  city  of  Washington  was  not  yet  laid  out, 
and  it  was  i)artly  to  confer  with  the  landholdei-s  of  the  site  that  this  journey 
was  undertaken.  As  soon  as  the  special  business  \vas  concluded,  the  Pi'csident 
proceeded  to  Mount  Vernon,  where  he  remained  a  week ;  then  staitcd  nlivsh 
for  Richmond,  Raleigh,   Cliarlcston,  Au<;usta,  ("oluiiibia.  S;i\  auiiali.  and   otlier 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  67 

points,  and  was  everywhere  the  recipient  of  the  most  distinguished  courtesies. 
He  speaks,  in  his  circumstantial  journal,  of  breakfasting  at  the  handsome  coun- 
try seat  of  Governor  Pinckney  on  the  2d  of  May,  and  with  Mrs.  Rutledge, 
the  wife  of  the  Chief  Justice  of  South  Carolina,  on  the  3d  ;  he  dined  on  the 
18th  at  the  residence  of  Governor  Telfair,  in  Augusta.  His  unconscious  pic- 
ture of  life  at  the  South  in  that  decade  is  pleasing.  It  was  on  his  retiirn  that 
he  tarried  for  two  days  with  his  niece,  the  wife  of  Colonel  Lee,  of  Virginia. 

"  Stratford  House,"  the  former  home  of  the  Lee  family,  is  a  box-like  relic 
of  the  Colonial  age.  It  is  called  "  The  Castle,"  and  stands  silently  remote 
from  the  beaten  track  of  travel  in  Westmoreland,  about  a  mile  below  the  bu'th- 
place  of  Washington.  It  was  the  home  of  Richard  Lee,  who  came  to  Virginia 
some  time  during  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  or  of  Crom^vell.  He  was  a  man  of 
mark,  "  of  good  stature,  comely  visage,  enterprising  genius,  round  head,  vigorous 
spirit,  and  generous  nature."  He  possessed  a  great  number  of  houses  and  lands, 
trading-vessels,  and  a  host  of  Afiican  and  white  "  indented  "  servants  to  culti- 
vate his  extensive  property.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  Sir  William  Berkeley, 
the  intensely  "  royal "  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  a  member  of  his  Council.  He 
took  a  fearless  part  in  the  struggle  of  that  decade  between  monarchy  and 
republicanism,  and,  after  the  death  of  Cromwell,  hastened  to  Breda  to  ui'ge 
Charles  II.  to  come  to  Virginia  and  erect  his  standard.  Charles  refused,  either 
moved  by  cautious  good  sense  or  from  indolence ;  and  Richard  Lee  hastened 
back  to  Virginia,  where  he  soon  afterward,  in  conjunction  \A\h  Su-  Wilham 
Berkeley,  proclaimed  Charles  II.  "  King  of  England,  Scotland,  France,  Ireland, 
and  Virginia  " — -two  years  prior  to  the  Restoration.  At  least  such  is  the  record 
of  the  early  historians  of  Virginia.  Charles,  in  recognition  of  the  fact,  gracious- 
ly authorized  the  motto  "  En  dat  Virginia  qmntain  " — afterward  changed  to 
quartam,  when  England  and  Scotland  became  one — to  be  placed  upon  the  Vir- 
ginia shield.  Thus  the  little  colony  of  Virginia  was  ranked  as  one  of  the  great 
constituent  parts  of  the  British  Empire. 

The  mansion  was  e\ddently  built  with  an  eye  to  the  law  of  primogeniture ; 
it  was  a  fit  dwelling-place  to  pass  from  father  to  son,  generation  after  genera- 
tion. The  representative  of  the  race  was  to  have  it  in  his  po^ver  to  represent  it 
noblj-,  and  die  feeling  that  his  eldest  son  would  wear  his  mantle  in  the  same 


fi8 


Till-:  iioMKs   or  A  Mimic  A. 


manner.  It  \v:is  (lesigned  on  a  very  broad  scale,  witli  aeconiinodations  for  al- 
most any  number  of  guests.  The  main  portion  of  the  edifice  is  of  English 
"sun-dried"  brick,  and  somewhat  in  the  form  of  the  letter  H — tAyo  Avings,  as  it 
were,  connected  by  a  middle  building.  The  reception-rooms  are  on  the  second 
flooi',  above  a  high  basement,  and  a  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  them,  the 
IVdiit   door  being  in  the  center  of  the  niiihlle  building.     The  main  rece])tion- 


room — an  aj)artment  about  thirty  feet  square  and  thirty  feet  in  heiglit — is 
decorated  with  elaborate  wainscoting,  carved  in  the  style  of  the  time  of  Louis 
.Xl\'.,  and  reaching  about  half  way  to  the  ceiling,  wliich  is  arched.  There  are 
fluted  columns,  and  at  one  time  these  were  gilded,  a  fact  which  may  be  ascer- 
tained by  scratching  oft"  the  paint  with  \yhich  they  liave  been  covered.  A  wide 
hall  iMuis  entirely  thioui^h  the  house,  tei-iiiiuatiiig  in  poi'ehes.  t'lom  one  balcony 
a  \iew  \yas  obtained  foiiiierly  of  the  Maryland  slioi'e  opposite,  but   this  is  now 


COLONIAL  PERIOD.  69 

obstructed  by  tlie  growth  of  the  trees.  In  the  wiugs  iiiid  tlie  basement  are 
sleeping-rooms,  drawing-rooms,  dining-rooms — said  by  a  fanciful  visitor  to  be 
one  huncb'ed  iu  number.  The  real  numbei-  is  Ijelleved  to  be  seventeen.  In 
these  apartments  the  ^^•ood^vork  is  oi'uamented  with  carving,  and  still  in  excel- 
lent preservation,  after  occupying  its  place  for  more  than  a  century.  No  ad- 
juncts of  comforts  and  convenience  are  wanting.  Many  years  ago  a  secret  and 
entirely  unknown  room  was  discovei'ed  iu  the  building — Availed  up  on  all  sides, 
without  Avindows  or  other  opening,  and  accessible  only  by  a  ladder  let  down 
through  a  trap-door.  What  this  apartment  was  designed  for  is  not  known.  In 
English  houses  such  hidden  retreats  were  often  constiiicted  to  serve  as  places 
of  concealment — but  there  never  was  any  necessity  for  such  in  Virginia.  No 
papers  or  other  valuables  were  discovered  in  this  room — it  was  entirely  empty 
— and  "  romance  "  has  therefore  nothing  whatever  to  build  ujion ;  conjectui'e 
ranges  freely  at  its  own  wild  will.  In  addition  to  the  large  apartments  in  the 
basement  of  the  building,  there  are  pantries ;  cellars  beneath ;  and,  still  deeper 
down,  that  important  accessoiy  of  every  Virginia  house  in  the  days  of  the 
old  regime.,  the  wine-cellar,  over  which  presided  an  imposing  butler. 

A  striking  feature  of  this  singularly  designed  mansion  is  the  stack,  or  quad- 
rangle, of  chimneys  surmoimting  each  wing,  and  flanking  an  observatory.  You 
ascend  to  these  obsen^atories  by  flights  of  stairs  leading  up  from  the  second 
floor — there  is  no  third  floor — and  the  view  is  such  as  to  \vell  I'eward  the  visitor 
for  his  trouble.  On  one  side,  pressing  up  nearly  to  the  house,  is  the  dense,  im- 
penetrable forest,  completely  shutting  out  the  prospect ;  but,  on  the  other  side, 
the  eye  ranges  over  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Potomac — at  this  point  a  great  and 
majestic  river — and  beyond  is  seen,  in  the  distance,  lost  in  a  mellow  haze,  the 
long  margin  of  the  Maryland  shore.  On  either  hand  ai-e  brick  ( >ut -houses ;  and 
at  a  little  distance  may  be  seen  the  old  garden,  and  a  large  brick  barn  and 
stables,  sufficient,  so  says  tradition,  to  afford  stalls  for  hundreds  of  horses. 

Thomas  Lee,  the  grandson  of  the  foimder  of  this  estate,  was  distinguished 
in  many  ways.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the  Governor  of  Vu-ginia, 
President  of  the  Colony,  and  Anally  Governor  by  royal  appointment.  He  was 
what  they  termed  in  those  days  a  very  "  worshipful  gentleman."  About  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  original  manor-house  was  burned,  and 
Queen  Caroline  sent  him  some  eighty  thousand  dollars  "v^-ith  which  to  replace 


70  THE   HOMES    OE  AMEIilCA. 

his  loss.     Thus  the  "  Stratford  House  "of  the  sketch  was  fashioned,  and  the 
enduring  character  of  the  architecture  is  a  stud)-. 

'J'lic  Iirilliant  galaxy  of  statesmen,  the  sons  of  Thomas  Lee,  who  spent  tlieii- 
boyhood  in  this  old-time  castle,  are  familiar  to  American  readei-s.  Eicliaid 
Henry  Lee  was  the  great  orator  and  statesman,  whose  elo(|Uence,  sa}s  ^Ii'.  A^"irt, 
stole  away  men's  judgments ;  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee  was  a  scholar  of  elegant 
attainments,  and  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  ludejiendence.  Wil- 
liam Lee,  a  third  brother,  was  an  aldeiTuau  of  London,  au  active  friend  of  the 
colonies  in  that  city ;  and  Arthur  Lee  was  a  waiter,  politician,  dijjlomat,  and 
the  ardent,  never-tiring  representative  of  the  country  in  France.  Another  nota- 
ble, Henry  Lee,  a  grand-nephew  of  Thomas  Lee,  fought  bravely  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, achieving  special  distinction  through  a  cw//?  de  main,  which  won  the  com- 
pliments of  Washington  and  his  officers.  He  then  AATote  the  "  Memoir's  of  the 
War  in  the  Southern  Department,"  a  brilliant  military  work,  Avas  elected  Gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  served  in  Congress,  and  passed  away  full  of  yeai"s  and  honoi"s, 
after  having,  by  a  mamage  with  Ms  cousin  Matilda  Lee,  come  into  possession 
of  "  Stratford  House,"  and  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  under  its  roof.  His 
son  Robert  Edward  Lee,  the  famous  general-in-chief  of  the  Confederate  armies 
in  the  late  war,  first  saw  the  light  in  one  of  these  wainscoted  apartments,  and 
thus  the  spot  has  been  connected  with  American  history  for  up\vard  of  t\vo  im- 
poitaiit  centuries. 

Andtlicr  famous  Lee  from  the  English  gentry,  distantly  related  to  the  Vir- 
ginia Lees,  but  whose  birthplace  was  England,  in.ide  himself  famous  in  this 
country  during  the  Revolution.  It  was  General  Charles  Lee.  His  home  was  a 
hermitage  near  the  little  hamlet  of  Leetown,  in  Virginia,  in  the  angle  formed 
by  the  waters  of  the  Opequon  and  Potomac.  It  Avas  a  stone  structiu'e,  origi- 
nally designed  for  a  hunting-lodge.  The  interior  had  no  jiartitions,  being  divided, 
hj  imaginary  lines  merely,  into  chamber,  sitting-room,  kitchen,  etc. ;  and  here, 
surrounded  by  a  great  number  of  dogs,  with  his  saddle  throA\ii  into  one  corner, 
and  only  one  human  companion,  an  Italian  body-servant,  Lee  vegetated  year 
after  year,  lie  was  the  most  cynical,  bitter,  and  blasphemous  of  men.  Even 
his  hounds  were  named  after  the  Holy  Trinity  and  the  Twelve  Apostles,  and 
he  left  directions  in  his  will  that  his  bodv  should  not  ])e  buried  "  in  aiiv  church 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


71 


or  cliurcliyard,  or  witliiu  a  mile  of  any  Presbyterian  or  Anabaptist  meeting- 
house ;  for,  since  lie  liad  resided  in  this  coimtiy,  he  had  kept  so  much  bad  com- 
pany when  li\'ing  that  he  did  not  choose  to  continue  it  Avhen  dead." 

His  principal  friend  was  General  Horatio  Gates,  \vho  lived  a  few  miles  dis- 


House    of    General    Charles    Lee,     Virginia. 


tant.  Tliey  were  both  soldiers  of  fortune,  both  Englishmen,  both  exiles,  and 
both  embittered  by  disgrace.  It  was  a  singular  and  striking  coincidence  that 
two  such  men  should  have  come  hither  to  rust  out  lives  once  crammed  mth 
exciting  incident  and  cro^^Tied  with  honors.  Lee  was  the  son  of  John  Lee,  of 
the  British  anny,  who  married  the  daughter  of  Sir-  Henry  Bunbury,  Bart.  His 
strange  life  would  furnish  material  for  an  exciting  romance.  He  had  frequented 
nearly  all  the  courts  of  Europe,  and  in  every  turn  in  his  career  met  with  rebuffs 
and  mortification.  His  aspirations  were  unlimited.  He  spent  some  time  in  the 
court  of  Frederick  the  Great,  and  had  long  talks  with  that  monarch  ;  he  offered 
his  sword  to  Stanislas  Augustus,  King  of  Poland,  who  made  huu  his  aide-de- 
camp, and  admitted  him  to  his  table  and  his  intimacy.  Shortly  we  find  him 
traveling  toward  Constantinople,  nearly  perishing  from  cold  and  hungei'  in  the 


7_)  THE    HOMES     OE   AMERICA. 

mountains  of  Bulgaria ;  and  in  Turkey  he  was  wellnigh  swallowed  up  by  an 
oaii:b(|uake.  Thence  he  passed  back  like  a  meteor  to  England ;  solicited  em- 
ployment without  success;  lifted  his  vigorous  i)en  in  a  violent  broadside  against 
the  ministiy ;  hunied  to  Poland  again,  ^vhere  he  was  made  major-general,  joined 
the  Russian  allies,  and  fought  the  Turks  at  Chotzim,  retreating  with  the  Cos- 
sacks, who  ^vere  terribly  cut  up  by  the  Turkish  cavalry.  This  terminated  his 
military  career  on  the  Continent.  Then  he  traveled  restlessly,  tonnented  by 
gout  and  rheumatism,  and  at  last  I'eached  Virginia  in  1773.  lie  was  a  thin, 
lank,  angular  being,  and,  wlicn  lie  visited  Mount  Vernon,  was  attended  hy  a 
troop  of  dogs  that  followed  him  into  the  fine  di-awing-rooms,  and  ^vere  e.\pected 
to  occupy  seats  by  him  at  table.  With  the  opening  of  the  wax  he  was  a]^]iointed 
major-general,  but  his  failure  to  obtain  the  chief  command  souicd  him.  His 
subsequent  career  is  well  known.     He  retiic<l   in  wratli  and  disgust  to  the  little 


inl    Gates,    Virginia. 


stone  house  of  the  sketch.  While  on  a  visit  once  to  Genei'al  Gates,  a  ([uari-el 
ensued  between  liim  and  Mrs.  Gates;  she  pa.ssionately  demanded  his  o])inion  of 
the  merits  of  the  controversy  and  of  hei-self.  This  unlucky  (piestion  gave  Lee 
the  opportunity  to  display  all   his  Jnniusdike  spleen.      "  Madam,"  he  said,  with 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  73 

mock-ceremony  and  a  bitter  sneer,  "  my  opinion  of  you  is,  that  yon  are — a  tra- 
gedy 1)1  private  life,  and  a  farce  to  all  the  worlds 

With  Washington  his  relations  remained  embittered,  and  lie  wrote  and  pub- 
lished "  Queries :  Political  and  Military,"  in  which  he  made  a  fierce  attack  on 
the  great  soldier.  In  after-years,  it  is  said  that  Washington  forgave  or  forgot 
these  old  enmities,  and,  when  once  in  the  Valley,  sent  word  to  General  Lee  that 
he  would  on  a  certain  day  come  and  dine  with  him.  Lee's  action  was  prompt. 
He  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away.  When  Washington  reached  the  house, 
he  found  tacked  upon  the  fi-ont  door,  which  was  locked,  a  slip  of  paper  con- 
taining the  words,  "  No  meat  cooked  here  to-day  !  " 

The  home  of  General  Gates,  after  he  was  suspended  by  Congress  fi'om  his 
rank  of  major-general,  following  the  battle  of  Camden,  is  still  standing.  It  is  a 
plain  but  substantial  stone  edifice,  mth  rooms  of  convenient  size,  heavily  wain- 
scoted after  the  prevailing  fashion  of  the  day,  and  bears  the  name  of  the  "  Trav- 
eler's Rest."  Gates  was  as  unlike  Lee  in  his  personal  appearance  as  his  desti- 
ny was  diiferent.  He  was  a  supple,  smiling,  insinuating  courtier,  ruddy  of  face 
and  rotund  of  figure.  His  star  once  glittered  in  the  zenith  above  even  that  of 
Washington ;  but  his  later  years  were  dragged  out  in  comparative  obscurity, 
Avith  little  society  save  that  of  his  wife — who  is  not  pictured  as  a  very  agree- 
able companion — and  that  of  his  cross  and  aggravating  neighbor.  General  Lee. 
On  a  pane  of  one  of  the  front  windows  of  the  house  are  scratched  with  a  dia- 
mond the  initials  "  H.  G.,"  surmounted  by  a  coat-of-arms ;  and  on  another  pane 

is  inscribed  in  the  same  manner  "  General  C ."     Gates  had  a  residence  in 

New  York,  called  "  Rose  Hill,"  the  ancient  seat  of  the  Watts  family,  where  he 
died. 

The  type  of  a  class  of  house  ^vhich  studded  Virginia  a  century  ago  is  "  Sara- 
toga," the  old  residence  of  General  Daniel  Morgan,  the  famous  conqueror  of 
Tarleton.  It  stands  about  two  miles  \vest  of  the  little  village  of  Milwood,  not 
far  from  "  Greenway  Court."  It  is  a  plain,  massive,  unpretending  house,  and 
reflects  with  peculiar  emphasis  the  life  and  character  of  its  master.  Morgan's 
oi-igin  is  said  to  have  been  humble,  and  he  had  few  if  any  advantages  of  educa- 
tion ;  but  the  native  force  and  energy  of  his  character  carried  him  onward  to 
the  highest  places  of  honor.  Coming  to  the  Valley  when  a  youth,  from  beyond 
10 


74  TIIK   HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 

the  Potomac,  lie  fought  the  Indians  west  of  Wiiu-liestei-,  defeiulintr  Edwards's 
Fort,  on  Lost  Kiver,  a<;ainst  them;  and  in  1750  took  pait  in  Brad(h)ck's  fatal 
ex])t-(liti<iii  as  a  cdiiiiiHin  soldier.  Tlis  !<ouvenirs  of  this  campaign  weiv  a  luillct 
throutrh  the  neck  and  four  hundred  and  ninety-nine  lashes,  inflicted  by  a  British 
officer  whom  he  had  insulted.  The  sentence  was  five  hundred,  l)ut  iMorgan  de- 
clared, with  iionic  humor,  that  the  dmmmer-boy  stopped  one  lash  short  of  the 
number!  He  was  a  lough  borderer  in  those  days,  fighting  A\-ith  fisticxiffs  often 
at  Ben•v^'ille — called  "  Battletown  "  familiaily,  in  conseijuence,  it  is  said,  of  these 
encounters — but  the  lievolution  came,  when  tlic  stalwai-t  soldii-r  was  about 
foi-tv,  and  his  military  genius  soon  asserted  its  rightful  claims.  lie  laiscd  "  ;i 
company  of  the  finest  youths  in  Frederick,"  and,  joining  a  regiment  oi-  battalion, 
also  recruited  in  the  A'alley,  marched  to  Join  the  forces  of  AVashington,  then  at 
Boston.  These  were  the  first  troops  which  marched  northward  from  the  South; 
and  the  striking  and  affecting  incident,  attending  the  arrival  at  the  headcpiartei-s 
of  Washington,  has  been  frequently  described.  The  conunanding  officer  of  the 
Virginians,  on  reaching  Boston,  drew  uji  his  men,  and,  at  AVashington's  appear- 
ance, made  the  military  salute,  and  reported,  "  From  the  right  bank  of  the  Poto- 
mac, general ! "  The  face  of  Washington  flushed,  his  eyes  filled,  and,  dismount- 
ing, he  passed  along  the  line  gras]iing  every  hand  in  tui-n — a  noble  incident,  and 
veiy  imposing  picture. 

Morgan  rose  steadily  by  force  of  genius — brave,  faithful,  and  unshrinking. 
In  Canada,  when  captured,  he  was  offered  a  commission  in  the  Biitish  ai-my  if 
he  would  go  over  to  that  side,  to  which  he  replied,  "I  hope  that  you  will  never 
ao-aiu  insult  me  in  my  distressed  and  unfortunate  situation,  by  making  me  offei-s 
which  idainly  imjdy  that  you  think  me  a  rascal  !"  When,  after  the  surrender 
of  Burgoyne,  the  star  of  Gates  was  in  the  ascendant,  and  the  frieiKls  of  that 
officer  sounded  Morgan  \\\t\\  a  view  to  inducing  him  to  join  the  league  against 
Wa.shin.gton,  Morgan,  flushed  Avith  indignation,  sternly  i-eplied :  "  I  have  one 
favor  to  ask  of  you,  Avhich  is,  never  to  mention  that  detestable  subject  to  me 
again,  for  under  no  other  man  but  \\'ashington  as  couunandci-in-chief  will  I 
ever  serve ! " 

At  the  (Vw^iens  Morgan  ovtTthrew  Tarleton,  and  his  iicrvi-  and  soldiershii) 
were  of  the  greatest  service  at  the  battle  of  Saratoga.  He  is  said  to  ha\e  named 
his  house  "  Saratoga  "  in  grim  historic  protest  against  the  injustice  of  General 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


Y5 


Gates,  wlio  scarcely  mentioned  him  in  his  bulletin  of  the  battle.  The  traditions 
of  how  this  tall,  stahvart,  bony,  and  plain-spoken  man  built  his  house  are  inter- 
esting. Some  Hessian  prisoners  captured  at  Saratoga  were  quartered  at  Win- 
chester, and  some  of  them  were  stone-masons  by  trade.  Morgan  employed  them 
to  bring  stone  on  their  backs  from  a  quarry  on  the  Opequon  many  miles  dis- 
tant, riding  beside  them,  and  spurring  them  on  with  the  statement  that  if  they 


*  Saratoga,"    Residence    of    General    Morgan,    Virginia. 


did  not  work,  the  country  coidd  not  afford  to  feed  them.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  religious  sentiments,  and  told  the  story  to  his  friends  of  how,  when  the 
sight  of  Tarleton's  imposing  forces  at  the  Cowpens  filled  him  with  dismay,  he 
retired  to  the  woods  near  at  hand,  and,  kneeling  in  an  old  tree-top,  prayed 
earnestly  for  himself,  his  men,  and  his  country. 

Physical  health  and  strength  made  him  enjoy  life  keenly,  and  relax  his  hold 
upon  it  with  regi'et.    A  tradition  remains,  that  on  his  death-bed,  or  in  his  latter 


76  TUK    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

(lays,  lie  said  to  oue  of  his  IVieiuls :  '•  To  be  only  twenty  atjaiii,  I  would  l)e 
williug  to  be  stripped  naked,  and  hunted  through  the  Blue  Kidge  with  wild 
dogs ! " 

"  Saratoga,"  Anth  its  great  dining-room,  lofty  mantel-pieces,  decorated  with 
bead-work  and  paneling,  its  elaborate  Avainscoting,  and  ponderous  walls,  resem- 
bling those  of  some  feudal  castle,  carries  you  back  to  a  period  wlu-n  all  things 
seem  to  have  been  more  solid,  su])stantial,  and  enduring,  than  at  present.  It  is 
situated  on  a  gentle  knoll,  half  surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of  wooded  hiils. 
In  fiont,  across  the  rolling  Valley,  rise  the  blue  battlements  of  the  Ridge ;  a  hun- 
dred yards  away  bubljle  up  the  bi'ight  waters  of  the  beautiful  fountain  ;  and  the 
\vide-spreading  \\illow,s,  drooping  theii-  tassels  in  the  stream,  sigh  dreamily  in 
unison  with  the  mnds. 

Maiyland  fi'mii  the  outset  rose  upon  the  shoulders  of  persons  of  high  birth, 
moved  to  their  destination  l)y  the  l)eot  thought  at  home.  The  sentiment  that 
the  life  of  a  country  gentleman,  upon  his  ])ati'imonial  acres,  was  one  of  the  hap. 
2)iest  in  the  world,  took  rise  with  its  manors  and  its  chief  cities  during  the  very 
firet  years  of  its  existence.  Lord  Baltimore  appointed  Charles  Carroll  Attomey- 
(leneral  of  the  i)rovince  in  1688,  Avho  amved  with  quite  a  retinue  of  dejiendents 
at  Annapolis  shortly  after.  He  was  an  Irishman,  of  the  Middle  Temi)le,  bar- 
rister, and  of  am})le  means  to  render  his  life  comfortable,  even  in  the  wilder- 
ness, lie  secured  extensive  tracts  of  land,  which  wei'e  in  due  course  of  time 
erected  into  a  manoi-,  with  power  to  hold  court-leet  and  coui-t-l)ar(Hi.  The 
family  ])ecame  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  ])rovinee,  and  tlie  estate  ()ne  of 
the  most  interesting  of  all  tlie  old  Maryland  manors. 

The  countiy-seat  or  manor-house  is  of  low,  rambling  architecture,  with  su]i- 
porting  M-ings,  a  style  Avhich  Avas  very  generally  adopted  in  Maryland.  Its  total 
length  is  three  hundi-ed  feet.  It  is  situated  on  an  artificial  knoll,  which  falls 
away  gently  front  and  back.  Tlie  land  of  all  this  section  is  hilly,  rolling,  and 
wooded — a  beautiful  country,  about  a  mile  from  the  old  turnpike  leading  to 
Frederick  City,  and  six  miles  above  EUicott's  Mills,  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad,  in  Howard  County. 

Attached  to  the  manoi'-house,  as  shown  in  the  illusti'atiou,  is  a  large  ])rivate 
chapel,  the  Cariolls  having  always  ])een  strict  Catholics.      Inside  the  chapel,  to 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


the  right  of  the 
altar,  is  the  tomb 
of  Charles  Cak- 
KOLL  OF  Carroll- 
ton,  Senator  of  Ma- 
ryland and  of  the 
United  States,  Ma- 
ryland's acutest  and 
most  philosophic 
thinker  before  the 
Revolution,  and  her 
greatest  statesman 
after — dying  with- 
in the  memory  of 
men  who  them- 
selves are  not  yet 
old — the  last  sur- 
vivor of  the  sign- 
ers of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independ- 
ence. Above  it  is 
a  marble  entabla- 
ture by  Bartholo- 
mew, with  the  pen 
and  scroll  of  the 
Declaration,  the 
thirteen  stars  of 
the  States  in  free- 
dom, and  over  all 
the  cross,  carved  in 
alto-rilievo. 

The  mansion  itself  is  entered  by  a  -vvide  hall,  ^vith  heavy  panels  front  and 
back,  and  with  English  hunting-scenes  and  a  few  old  pictures  on  the  walls,  and 
vistas  of  the  stately,  flower-strewed  lawTi,  with  its  shaven  turf  of  more  than  a 


78  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

hiindred  yeai"s,  and  its  picturescjue  gnarled  and  knotted  old  trees.  To  the  right 
are  the  libraiy  and  sitting-room,  heavily  paneled  in  oak,  ^\'h('r('  Cliarles  C'aiToll 
of  CaiToUton,  when  old  and  feeble,  passed  most  of  his  tinic.  ami  where,  within 
easy  reach,  were  Cicero's  "  De  Senectute,"  which  he  loved ;  Milner's  "  End  of 
Controversy,"  to  which  he  always  attributed  his  firmest  Chiistian  conviction  ; 
Swift  and  Homer  and  Virgil  and  Blackstone.  On  the  wall  are  portraits  of  him- 
self, his  son,  and  grandson.  All  the  furniture  is  plain,  but  substantial,  solid, 
and  lasting.  From  there  he  had  only  to  cross  the  hall  to  the  dining-room,  also 
paneled  in  oak,  with  its  high  clock  in  a  recess  of  the  wall ;  and  portraits,  from 
stately  gentlemen  in  the  full  ^v^gs  of  Addison's  day  to  grandams  who  look  as 
though  they  were  ready,  in  stomacher  and  ruff,  to  step  from  their  frames  and 
pace  a  solemn  minuet. 

The  most  touching  of  all  the  portraits  is  that  of  a  yoimg  lady  of  the  family, 
painted  by  Sir  Joshua  Ileynolds,  the  figure  slender,  the  neck  graceful,  long,  and 
rounded,  but  thin,  and  the  face  beautiful,  but  inexpressibly  sad.  In  the  large 
billiard-room  in  the  right  wing  there  is  a  quaint  portrait  of  the  lord  of  the  manor 
himself,  bidding  adieu  to  an  eldest  son  about  to  sail  for  France ;  and  it  is  a  fact 
worthy  of  mention  that  all  the  eldest  sons  of  the  Carrolls  were  educated  abroad 
for  two  hundred  yeare,  and  that  each  one  of  them  bore  the  name  of  Charles. 
The  picture  was  painted  in  1790.  In  the  distance  is  the  ship,  in  the  foreground 
the  lad,  turning  half  reluctant  to  his  father,  whose  hands  are  iipon  his  shoulder, 
and  Ills  sistei-s  stand  near  by,  weeping;  half  in  sliadow,  the  negro  sei'vants 
\vatch  the  scene  with  sorrowful  countenances. 

The  mansion  is  surrounded  by  three  hundred  acres  of  ])ark,  lawn,  and  grass- 
lands; a  half  mile  away  are  the  stables,  and  the  slave  (juarters,  which  consti- 
tute (|uite  a  village.  In  its  palmy  days  the  manor  is  said  to  have  su]>])()rted 
al)()ut  a  thousand  slaves — although  documents  extant  hardly  swell  the  number 
above  four  liundivd.  The  inanoi--lan(ls  jiave  never  been,  until  of  late  vt'ars, 
divided. 

About  one  figuie  all  the  old  traditions  of  Doughoregan  ^lanor  clustei'. 
Chaklks  Carroll  ok  Carrollton  was  born  in  1737,  at  Annapolis,  and  edu- 
cated chiefly  at  St.  Omer,  though  he  studied  at  two  other  sihools  of  emi- 
nence on  the  Continent.  Later  he  was  a  student  of  the  ^liddl.'  'rcniplc  and 
contemporarv  with  Joseph  Reed,  of  Delawaie,  and  other  Ainerieans  thi-n  stuily- 


COLONIAL   PERIOD.  79 

ing  there.  He  spent  in  all  about  twenty  years  abroad.  Late  in  1764  lie 
retui-ned  to  Maryland,  his  mind  well  stored  with  learning  and  acute  observation. 
His  reasoning  powers  were  also  well  developed  for  one  so  young.  He  found 
the  arena  astir.  The  Stamp  Act  had  been  imposed.  He  kept  up  a  close  cor- 
respondence with  his  friends  in  London,  and,  curiously  enough,  the  first  thing  he 
did  was  to  send  them  the  pamphlets  of  his  great  future  antagonist,  whom  he  was 
destined  to  ignominiously  overthrow — Daniel  Dulauy.  His  father  had  given 
him  the  manor  of  CarroUton,  in  Frederick  County,  and  he  was  now  Charles 
Carroll  of  CarroUton,  a  landed  gentleman  with  large  future  possessions  en- 
tailed upon  him.  His  signature  henceforth  was  "  of  CarroUton."  The  story 
that  he  added  the  name  of  the  estate  to  his  signature  to  the  Declaration,  as  a 
distinctive  badge  of  identity  for  that  special  occasion,  belongs  to  the  apociyj^ha 
of  history.  In  fact,  in  writing  to  his  friend  Jennings,  still  in  Loudon,  he  used 
the  signature,  adding  immediately  after,  "  by  which  appeUation,  if  you  favor 
me  mth  an  answer,  direct  to  me  your  letter."    It  was  a  famUy  custom. 

He  was  among  the  earliest  to  foresee  the  contest  of  1776,  and  one  of  the 
bravest  to  meet  it  with  word  and  action.  He  foUo^ved  the  proceedings  of  Par- 
liament Avith  intense  interest,  and  by  his  letters  from  Loudon  was  kept  well 
informed  of  the  temper  of  the  King  and  Commons. 

He  came  triumphant  out  of  the  contest  ^\^th  Dulany,  carried  on  under  the 
respective  signatures  of  "First  Citizen"  and  "Antilore,"  and  received  the 
thanks  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  Maryland,  ever  after  holding  their  confidence. 
It  was  due  to  his  exertions  that  the  Maryland  delegates  were  instructed  to  vote 
for  independence ;  he  Avas  foremost  to  advise  the  burning  of  the  sea-vessel 
Peggy  Stewart  in  broad  daylight  in  Annapolis  Harbor ;  and  he  from  the  first 
looked,  as  he  said  to  his  correspondent  Mr.  Graves  of  the  British  Parliament, 
to  "  the  bayonet  as  the  solution  of  the  difficulties  between  the  mother-country 
and  her  colonies,  confident  that,  though  the  British  troops  might  march  from 
one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  they  would  nevertheless  be  masters  only 
of  the  spot  on  which  they  encamped." 

No  one  more  Anllingly,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1776,  affixed  his  signatui'e  to 
the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  and  the  remark  then  made,  "  Tliere  go  a  few 
millions,"  was  not  unjustified  by  probabilities.  Although  Mr.  Carroll's  father 
was  then  living,  the  family  estates  were  entailed  under  the  old  English  law  sub- 


80  THE   HOMES    OF  A  MEET (' A. 

ject  to  forfeiture;  and  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrolltou  was,  it  is  said,  the  wealthi- 
est of  the  signers. 

From  the  signiiiL;-  of  the  Declaration  to  the  yeai'  l^'i  Mr.  Carroll's  life  was 
a  ]nil)lie  one.  In  1801,  being  an  ardent  Federalist,  he  retired  to  Doiighoregan, 
and  became  a  quiet  though  somewhat  bitter  spectator  of  the  government  of  the 
Jefferson  school,  after  having  been  a  member  of  the  first  committees  of  observa- 
tion, twice  in  the  Convention  of  Maryland,  tnice  apiMiinted  delegate  to  Con- 
gi-ess,  once  chosen  Representative  to  the  Congress  of  the  Uiuteil  States,  and 
four  times  elected  a  Senator  of  ISIaryland. 

He  was  of  small  stature,  with  high  foreliead,  large  aquiline  nose,  and  gray 
eyes  full  of  intelligence;  his  skin  was  so  remarkably  clear  and  thin  that  the 
blood  could  be  seen  meandering  through  every  vein  and  artery.  In  iiis  old  age 
his  hair  was  white,  thick,  and  flowing,  and  lie  wore  it  brushed  back  from  his 
lofty  brow.  He  A\as  an  early  i-iser,  dressed  with  scrupulous  nicety,  and  was 
animated  and  chaniiiiig  iu  conversation.  He  was  not  rhetorical,  ])ut  a  man  of 
facts  and  logic,  and  a  somewhat  unenthusiastic  speaker,  but  he  wrote  with  dig- 
nitv  and  ease.  He  rarely  dined  out,  and  his  habits  of  life  at  home  were  regu- 
lar, although  his  style  of  li\iiig  was  very  handsome  and  generous.  As  many  as 
tweutv  guests  were  often  in  the  old  manor-house  at  one  time,  and  yet  the  domes- 
tic affairs  went  as  if  by  magic,  well-trained  servants  anticii)ating  every  want. 
The  hospitality  of  Doughoregan  Manor  was  noted  not  only  at  home  liut  al)road. 
After  Mr.  Carroll's  granddaughters,  the  Misses  Catons,  married — the  one  Lord 
Wellesley,  Viceroy  of  Ireland,  and  the  others  I'espectively  the  Duke  of  Leeds 
and  Baron  Stafford — very  few  Englislimen  of  note  visited  this  counti-y  without 
callinr;;  on  Mr.  Carroll.  The  British  Ministers  at  Washington  were  frecjuent 
o-uests;  and  Washington,  Jackson,  Taney,  Decatur,  Lafayette,  and  others,  en- 
tered his  dooi-  as  intimate  friends. 

He  spent  his  winters  in  Baltimore,  his  city  home  standing  on  Loinl)ard 
Street,  near  Front.  He  survived  his  only  son,  who  married  Miss  Chew,  of  Phila- 
delphia, one  of  the  beautiful  daughters  of  Judge  Benjamin  Cliew,  and  \vhose 
oidy  son,  Charles  Carroll  of  Homerwood,  inherited  the  manor.  He  divided  the 
estate  by  will,  and  Doughoregan  was  bought  by  the  second  son,  the  Hon.  John 
Lee  Carroll,  President,  at  a  recent  period,  of  the  Mai\  land  Senate,  whose  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  lioyal  Phelps,  of  New  Yoi-k. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


81 


"  Belvedere  "  is  another  Maryland  home  of  the  Colonial  period,  which  intro- 
duces the  reader  to  a  hospitable,  hearty,  bluff,  curt,  soldierly  gentleman,  of 
modest  bearing  and  exceptional  bravery — one  of  the  most  gallant  officers,  indeed, 
of  the  Revolution.  The  stately  dwelKng  of  the  Ho^vards  of  Maryland  had  a 
wide,  regular  front,  with  projecting  portico  and  supporting  wings,  separated  by 
recesses  from  the  main  building.  On  either  side  were  iron-barred  windows. 
From  the  low  and  spacious  hall  the  suite  of  rooms  ^vere  reached  the  -windows 


of  which  appear  in  the  illustration.  The  principal  apartment  was  nearly  square, 
twenty-five  feet  by  about  thirty,  while  those  on  the  sides  were  a  trifle  smaller. 
The  windows  opened  to  the  floor,  and  on  a  colonnaded  portico.  The  stairway, 
imported  from  England,  was  partly  of  iron  and  its  woodwork  solid  mahogany. 
The  whole  aspect  of  the  place  was  one  of  rest— old-fashioned  comfort  and  rest. 
Colonel  John  Eager  Howard  was  bom  in  1752,  and  married  a  second  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Chew,  of  Philadelphia,  the  sister  of  the  wife  of  the  only  son  of 


82  THE    nO^TEs    OF  AMEIUCA. 

Charles  Can-oil  of  Cairollton.  These  l)iilliant  youni,'  women  were  reifrnins: 
belles  in  Philadelphia  during  its  occupation  l)y  the  British ;  at  the  close  of  the 
war  their  mother  attended  the  ball  given  to  AVashiugton,  and,  on  returning, 
described  to  her  daughter  Margaret,  who  had  refused  to  accompany  her,  in 
glowing  coloi-s  the  only  gentleman  present  in  whom  she  had  Ijcen  interested — 
a  wounded  officer,  Colonel  Howard,  of  Maryland.  The  young  lady  was  curious 
to  see  the  young  paragon,  and  went  to  the  next  l)all  herself,  losing  lier  heart  l)y 
the  means.  The  result  was  their  lietrothal,  and  marriage  soon  afterwaril.  She 
was  the  Miss  Chew  for  wlioiii  Aiidn''  rode  in  the  "Tourney"  of  ''the  Mischiaiiza" 
Fete  and  wrote  a  f\ill  description  of  the  same,  which  is  preserved  in  the  family. 

The  house  stood  in  what  is  now  the  most  valuable  portion  of  Baltiiiu)re, 
one  hundred  feet  above  tide,  overlooking  the  city  through  its  jyarlor-windows 
to  the  east  and  south,  and  ])eyond  the  placid  I*atapsco  bui-deued  with  com- 
merce. Its  broad  surrounding  acres  originally  foi-med  a  beautiful  park — the 
pride  of  the  city — known  as  Howard's  Park.  <  )f  the  oldei-  citizens  of  Balti- 
more and  even  of  the  younger  generation,  there  are  few  who  do  not  remend)er 
at  least  something  of  the  glories  of  the  old  forest,  of  which  a  small  body-guai-d 
of  noble  old  oaks  are  among  the  remains  of  its  ancient  beauty.  Colonel  How- 
ard coutril)uted  munificently  of  his  grounds  for  ]mblic  j)urposes,  the  Washing- 
ton Monument,  and  some  of  the  fine  public  buildings  of  Baltimore,  having  been 
erected  upon  sites  ^\  liich  he  had  given. 

The  Howards  are  said  to  be  of  honorable  and  high  lineage.  The  family 
escutcheon  is  the  same  a.s  that  of  the  Norfolk  Howards,  and,  since  one  of  the 
sons  of  "Howard  Earl  of  Arundel"  is  known  to  have  come  to  America,  there 
is  but  little  dou])t  of  the  identity  of  the  Howard  wlio,  in  1»)9!»,  obtained  from 
the  Crown  the  grant  of  the  large  tract  in  Baltimore  County  called  "The  Foi-- 
est."  His  grandson,  Colonel  John  Eager  Howard,  seems  to  have  inherited 
the  military  s])irit,  indejiendeiice,  and  resolution  with  Avhich  his  ancestor  took 
up  arms  against  Monmouth  a  century  before,  and  made  himself  so  cons])icuous 
by  his  gallantry  in  the  ficM  that  (ii'eene  said,  "He  desei-ves  a  statue  of  gold  no 
less  than  Koman  and  Grecian  heroes."  At  Cow[)ens,  Howard  turned  the  fortunes 
of  the  day  by  charging  without  ordei-s  ujion  the  advancing  British  column  with 
the  cold  steel;  it  is  said  that  \w  licM  in  his  hands  the  swonls  of  seven  officere, 
suiTendered  io  him  personally,  and  saved  the  life  of  the  British  geneial  O'llara, 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  83 

wlio  clung  to  his  stLrrup  claiming  quarter.  After  tlie  war  Howard  was  Govern- 
or of  Maryland,  and  subsequently  one  of  her  Senators.  He  declined  the  post 
of  Secretary  of  War  offered  him  by  Washington.  Personally  he  was  a  man  of 
medium  size,  long  in  the  body,  with  a  fine  large  head  and  prominent  featui'es ; 
he  was  full-brained,  calm  and  grave  in  bearing,  and  ciirt  and  incisive  in  utter- 
ance, with  no  eloquence,  no  pretension,  and  no  disposition  to  court  popularity. 
He  talked  but  little,  yet  that  little  was  always  to  the  point,  and  he  was  on 
friendly  teims  with  every  one. 

Belvedere  was  in  the  direct  route  North  and  South,  and  worthies  did  not  in 
the  good  olden  times  rush  through  the  countiy  by  rail ;  they  tanied  with  hos- 
pitable hosts,  such  as  the  Howards  and  Carrolls,  sometimes  for  days,  while  on 
their  journeys  to  and  fro.  Here  came  the  Revolutiouaiy  Williams ;  Smallwood  ; 
Gist  and  Smith,  of  the  renowned  "  Old  Maiyland  Line  "  ;  Judge  Samuel  Chase, 
the  life-long  fiiend  of  Colonel  Howard ;  and  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton. 
From  the  South  came  Huger,  Pinckney,  Lowndes,  and  Rutledge;  from  the 
North,  Adams,  Winthrop,  and  Otis.  Lafayette,  in  1824,  was  entertained  at 
Belvedere.  And  the  quiet  humor  of  Wirt ;  the  dogmatism  of  William  Pinck- 
ney tempered  by  the  fine  courtesies  of  social  life ;  the  sturdy  common  sense  of 
Taney,  yet — to  use  the  felicitous  phrase  of  a  son  of  one  of  these,  a  time  poet 
cut  off  in  his  prime — "  o'er  inform  "  the  rooms  thi'ough  which  they  moved  wel- 
come and  frequent  guests.  Nearly  all  civic  ceremonies  took  place  within  the 
limits  of  Howard  Park.  One  of  the  most  imposing  scenes  in  all  its  history  oc- 
cun-ed  on  Jidy  20,  1826.  Soon  after  sunrise  the  tolling  of  the  bells  in  the  city 
of  Baltimore  announced  the  profound  grief  of  the  people  at  the  nearly  simulta- 
neous deaths  of  Jefferson  and  Adams.  The  flags  of  the  shipping  and  of  all 
public  places,  the  closed  doors  of  all  the  business-houses,  the  dark  shrouding  of 
the  chaste  and  beautiful  Battle  Monument,  from  the  beaks  of  whose  eagles 
hung  in  sweeping  folds  the  black  streamers  of  mourning,  testified  to  the  general 
sorrow  at  the  national  bereavement.  A  procession,  partly  military  and  partly 
civil,  was  fonned  early  in  the  day,  and  a  long  line  of  carnages  followed 
with  the  clergy  of  different  denominations.  Then,  di'awn  by  six  noble  black 
horses,  "svith  plumed  heads  and  housings  of  black  cloth,  came  the  funeral-car, 
bearing  two  large,  shrouded  coffins.  After  the  car,  as  chief  mourners,  came 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  John  Eager  Howard,  and  General  Samuel  Smith ; 


84  THE   HOMES    OF  J .VA'IifCA. 

next  the  State  authorities ;  then  old,  i,Tay-hea»leil  men,  who  could  tell  of  'Tfi  as 
of  yesterday;  then  the  officei"s  of  the  different  courts  and  the  nmiiicipal  ntticei's; 
then  society  after  society,  and  long  lines  of  youths  and  cliildnn,  and  seamen 
with  their  Hags  enveloped  in  crape ;  and,  last,  a  crowd  of  citizens  and  citizen 
soldiery,  filling  the  streets  from  side  to  side.  The  head  of  the  column  entered 
Howard's  Park  by  the  gate  of  Belvedere,  wound  through  the  woods  until,  after 
passing  the  crown  of  the  hill,  it  descended  into  a  natural  aiii})hitheatre  l)elow. 
In  the  center  of  this,  surrounded  by  seventy  thousand  people,  who  looked  down 
upon  it,  was  the  platform  for  the  ceremonies,  and  over  all  the  broad  shadows 
of  the  .s})reading  oaks. 

It  wa.s  the  last  public  ceremony  Colonel  Howard  took  part  in.  He  died  in 
1827,  in  the  seventy -fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  funeral  jirocession  (among 
the  mourners  was  John  Quincy  Adams,  President  of  the  United  States)  which 
bore  his  remains  to  an  honoi-ed  grave  was  scarcely  less  imposing  than  the  one 
in  which,  on  that  hot  day  one  year  before,  he  had  played  so  conspicuous  a  part. 

The  Stockton  mansion,  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  is  a  good  cxamiilc  of  the 
early  homes  of  that  province  prior  to  the  birth  of  the  nation.  The  owner  and 
builder,  Kichard  Stockton,  was  one  of  the  men  who  assisted  at  that  birth,  aitix- 
ing  his  name  to  the  inunortal  document,  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  la^vyers  at  the  American  bai',  and  a  man  who 
would  never  engage  in  a  cause  except  upon  the  side  of  justice  and  honor.  He 
had  ivndered  himself  excessively  olmoxious  to  the  British  l)y  his  ])artici]iation 
in  the  revolutionary  jn'oceedings  of  his  time,  and  his  lionie  was  visited  and 
overrun  while  searching  for  him,  and  his  i)ortrait  gashed  in  the  throat.  This 
barbaric  injury,  suggesting  as  it  does  a  real  act  upon  the  tiesh,  lends  a  very 
cimous  interest  to  the  placid  and  handsome  face. 

It  is  said  that  Richard  Stockton  was  at  fii'st  doubtful  of  the  policy  of 
separating  from  England,  but  in  the  end  coi'dially  sup})orted  the  movement. 
In  1770  he  wa.s  apjiointed  by  the  Continental  Congress  one  of  a  conunittee  to 
inspect  the  Northern  army  and  report  its  condition ;  after  his  return  to  New 
Jersey  he  was  captured  by  the  enemy,  and  confined  in  the  couunon  ])riso!i  in 
New  York.  Congress  interfered  and  procured  his  exchange,  but  the  severity 
of  the  treatment  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  caused  his  death  in  17iSl. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


85 


86  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

lie  was  one  of  the  notable  seven  who  composed  the  fii-st  chiss  that  graduated 
from  Princeton  College  on  the  memoi-able  day  when  the  Rev.  Aaron  Burr  was 
elected  its  president.  He  studied  hiw  w  ith  Judge  David  Ogden,  of  Newark. 
In  1766  he  visited  England,  wheie  he  was  the  recipient  of  distinguished  cour- 
tesies, and  where  he  succeeded  in  perfonning  valuable  ser\-ices  for  the  province 
of  New  Jersey.  Upon  his  return  he  was  escorted  with  great  ceremony  to  his 
residence  by  the  peo])le,  l)y  whom  he  was  much  Ijeloved.  He  was  shortly  after- 
ward made  a  member  of  the  Governors  Council  of  New  Jei-sey,  and  apiiolntctl 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  His  sou  Ilichaid  (the  father  of  tlic  Coiiiinodorc), 
born  in  this  house  in  1764,  was  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  statesman.  Foi 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  Avas  at  the  head  of  the  l)ar  of  New  Jei-sey, 
and  was  esteemed  one  of  the  most  eloquent  orators  of  his  day.  He  was  in  Con- 
gress for  many  years,  and  was  several  times  talked  of  for  the  iiresidencw  In 
1825  he  was  a  commissioner  from  New  Jei-sey  to  negotiate  the  settlement  of  an 
important  territorial  controversy  between  that  State  and  New  York,  and  })enned 
the  proposed  agreement  ajipended  to  the  report. 

There  is  an  engraved  ])ortrait  of  Commodore  riieliurd  Field  Stockton,  who 
was  born  imder  this  roof  in  1796,  hanging  in  a  little  frame  upon  the  \vall  in 
the  (quaint  parlor.  He  is  in  full  dress,  erect,  warlike,  with  his  sword  ujion  his 
left  arm,  and  his  huge  gold  epaulets  swelling  out  a  figure  fine  and  connnanding. 
His  career  was  specially  interesting.  He  entered  the  navy,  in  1811,  as  a  mid- 
shipman, and  became  aide  to  Commodore  Rodgers  on  board  the  frigate  Presi- 
dent, winning  honorable  notice  for  gallantry  in  several  battles  while  yet  a  mere 
l)oy.  At  nineteen  he  was  firet  lieutenant  of  the  Spitfire  in  tlie  Mediterranean, 
and  distinguished  himself  by  boarding  with  a  boat's  cre^v  an  Algerine  war- 
vessel.  His  life  was  a  succession  of  daiing  and  successful  exploits.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  men  in  Ameiica  to  advocate  a  steam-navy ;  he  had  given 
much  attention  to  gunner}-  and  naval  architecture,  and  finally  originated  a 
war-steamer,  which  was  built  under  his  immediate  sujjervision  in  1844,  and, 
although  pronounced  impracticable  by  the  naval  constructoi-s,  it  proved  to  be 
superior  to  any  war-vessel  at  that  time  afloat,  and  furnished  substantially  the 
model  for  numerous  others,  not  only  in  this  but  in  foreign  countries.  The 
next  year  he  was  sent  to  the  Pacific,  where,  ■with  a  small  force,  and  amid  many 
romantic  and  thrilling  adventures,  he  conquered  California,  and  establislied  the 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  87 

Government  of  tlie  United  States  within  her  boundaries.  He  was  afterward 
a  member  of  tlie  Senate  of  the  United  States,  where,  among  many  other  noble 
deeds,  he  procui'ed  the  passage  of  a  law  for  the  abolition  of  flogging  in  the  navy. 

The  Ford  mansion,  at  Morristo-\vn,  New  Jersey,  is  chiefly  interesting  from 
having  been  the  headquarters  of  Washington  during  the  winter  of  1779-'80, 
and  through  the  spring  of  the  latter  year.  It  was  then  a  comparatively  new 
house,  built  (1774)  in  a  most  substantial  manner  of  brick,  covered  with  plank. 
It  stands  almost  three  fourths  of  a  mile  eastward  of  the  center  of  the  town, 
on  the  old  Newark  and  Morristown  tm-npike.  Colonel  Jacob  Fordj  who  built 
the  house,  was  an  eflicient  officer  in  the  army  of  1776.  His  son,  Judge  Gabriel 
Ford — who  graduated  from  Princeton,  made  law  a  profession,  and  subsequently 
occupied  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey  for  upward  of  twenty 
years — was  a  boy  of  fifteen,  and  his  mother  was  a  widow,  when  the  army  in 
December,  1779,  encamped  in  Morristown.  The  winter  was  one  of  great  sever- 
ity. The  bay  of  New  York  was  so  fii-mly  frozen  from  shore  to  shore  that  Brit- 
ish troops  and  cannon  were  moved  across  it  on  the  ice  to  Staten  Island.  Snow 
was  several  feet  deep.  The  Ford  mansion  was  crowded,  and  Washington  caused 
two  additions  to  be  made  vdth  logs,  one  for  a  kitchen  on  the  east  end,  and  the 
other  for  an  office  on  the  west ;  but  they  were  not  finished  until  late  in  January. 

Late  in  December  Mrs.  Washington  arrived,  riding  a  spirited  horse,  and 
escorted  by  a  guard  of  Virginia  troops  who  were  stationed  at  Trenton.  For 
two  days  she  had  battled  with  the  perils  and  discomforts  of  one  of  the  most 
violent  snow-storms  she  had  ever  known,  and  yet  was  in  time  to  escape  another, 
following  swiftly,  which  Dr.  Thatcher  in  his  Journal  describes  as  so  furious 
that  "  no  man  could  endure  its  violence  many  minutes  without  danger  of  his 
life."  The  kitchen  of  the  mansion  was  the  warmest  room,  and  around  its  roar- 
ing wood-fire  the  shivering  inmates  gathered.  Washington  wrote,  "  Eighteen 
of  my  family  and  all  of  Mrs.  Ford's  are  crowded  together  in  her  kitchen,  scarce 
one  of  them  able  to  speak  for  the  colds  they  have  caught." 

On  one  occasion,  some  of  the  leading  ladies  of  society  in  Morristo^wn  and  its 
vicinity  agreed  to  visit  the  wife  of  the  commander-in-chief.  They  obtained 
from  her  a  notice  of  the  time  when  it  woidd  be  convenient  for  her  to  enter 
tain  them.     As  they  were  to  \Tisit  a  great  lady,  rich  and  honored,  they  thought 


88 


THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


it  would  he  propei-  to  appear  in  their  Ijest  dresses.  They  accoi-dinf;ly  attired 
themselves  in  silks  and  ruffles,  aud  every  appliance  of  art  to  make  themselves 
appear  elegant.  And,  so  prepared,  six  of  them  were  introduced  to  Mi"s.  A\'a.sh- 
ington.  She  received  them  with  great  courtesy,  and  they  would  have  felt 
perfect  ease  in  her  presence  had  they  been  plainly  dressed  and  ))rought  theu' 
kuitting-^\■ork  A^th  them.     They  found  her  dressed  in  a  very  j)lain  manner, 


Wasliiii'jton's    Headquarters    at    Monisiown,     New    Joi-se 


wearing  a  figured  apron,  and  engaged  in  knitting.  After  the  usual  compli- 
ments were  over,  she  resumed  her  needles,  while  tlie  fingers  of  her  guests  Avere 
perfectly  idle.  She  entertained  them  \vitli  pleasant  tonversation,  and  omt'  dur- 
ing the  afternoon  remarked,  as  if  half  apologetically  for  her  attention  tt)  her 
knitting,  that,  it  wius  important  for  the  women  of  .\mei-ica,  of  every  class,  in  a 
time  like  that  to  he  patterns  of  industiy,  and,  while  their  jiushands  and  sons 
and  brothers  were  struggling  for  liberty  in  tlu-  liehi,  to  assist  l)y  the  needle,  the 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  89 

spinning-wheel,  and  the  loom,  in  acquiring  a  real  independence  of  Great  Brit- 
ain, by  doing  without  that  which  the  Americans  could  not  make  themselves. 
The  idle  ladies  felt  the  rebuke,  though  it  was  not  given  in  the  form  of  rebuke, 
and  the  example  and  the  words  of  Mrs.  Washington  made  a  deep  impression 
on  their  minds  and  led  to  better  habits.  '  There  we  were,'  said  one  of  these 
ladies,  *  mthout  one  stitch  of  work,  and  sitting  in  state,  while  General  Wash- 
ington's lady  was  knitting  stockings  for  her  husband.' " 

Washington's  life-guards  were  housed  in  about  fifty  log-huts  in  a  meadow  a 
few  rods  fi-om  the  house.  They  were  commanded  by  William  Colfax,  of  Pomp- 
ton,  the  grandfather  of  ex- Vice-President  Schuyler  Colfax.  Their  alacrity  in 
service  was  severely  tested  during  the  winter.  The  firing  of  a  gun,  at  a  remote 
point,  would  alarm  the  whole  line  of  sentinels,  and  the  life-guard  would  rush  to 
the  Ford  mansion,  barricade  the  doors,  and  throw  up  the  windows.  At  each 
window  five  soldiers,  with  their  muskets  cocked  and  brought  to  a  charge,  were 
usually  placed,  and  there  they  remained  until  the  troops  from  camp  marched  to 
headquarters,  and  the  cause  of  the  alann  Avas  ascertained. 

"  When  the  spring  opened,"  writes  Lossing,  "  good  news  fi'om  France — a  royal 
promise  of  speedy  and  efiicient  aid  from  that  kingdom,  which  Lafayette  had  pro- 
cured— revived  the  hopes  and  spirits  of  all  at  headquarters  and  in  the  camp.  It 
was  supplemented  in  the  middle  of  April  by  the  arrival  of  the  Chevalier  de 
Luzerne,  the  French  Minister,  and  Don  Juan  de  Miralles,  the  dijjlomatic  agent 
of  the  Spanish  Court,  who  had  been  in  the  country  about  a  year.  These  gentle- 
men remained  at  headquarters  for  some  time,  and  during  their  sojourn  no  efforts 
were  spared  to  make  their  visit  agreeable.  Baron  Steuben,  then  Inspector-Gen- 
eral of  the  Continental  army,  exhibited  the  discipline  and  tactics  of  the  trooj)s 
by  a  grand  review ;  and  a  ball  was  given  in  honor  of  the  guests  at  the  Morris 
Hotel,  which  was  attended  by  Washington  and  his  wife,  the  officers  and  theii- 
wives  who  were  then  in  camp,  and  the  elite  of  Morristown  society.  'I  was 
permitted  to  accompany  my  mother,'  said  Judge  Ford,  '  and  never  had  I  seen 
anything  half  so  attractive  as  that  brilliant  array  of  beauty,  dresses,  and  move- 
ments of  the  dance.  Pompey,  a  slave  belonging  to  my  mother,  was  the  chief 
fiddler,  and  he  came  home  mth  his  pockets  full  of  money,  and  his  stomach  full 
of  goodies.' 

"Public  affairs  were  in  such  a  critical  situation  in  the  spring  of  1780,  that 


90  THE   HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 

Washington  called  to  headquarters  several  distiiipiished  officers  and  civilians 
for  consultation.  Lafayette  had  arrived  from  France,  where  he  had  been  on 
his  noted  mission  in  search  of  military  allies,  and  he  and  eminent  officers,  Ameri- 
can and  foreign,  were  guests  at  AVashington's  table.  The  unbounded  confidence 
which  Congress  reposed  in  the  commander-in-chief  made  him  veiy  cii'cumspect 
in  the  assumption  of  responsibilities,  and,  as  preparations  were  to  be  made  to 
receive  and  dispose  of  the  expected  allies  from  France,  he  felt  a  strong  desire 
for  the  immediate  cooperation  of  the  civil  power.  He  asked  for  a  small  com- 
mittee of  Congress  who  should  have  the  executive  powers  of  that  body  dele- 
o-ated  to  them,  and  in  a  communication  on  that  sul)ject  he  took  occasion  to  say, 
'  There  is  uo  man  that  can  be  more  useful  as  a  member  of  that  committee  than 
General  Schuyler.'  The  committee  was  appointed,  and  Schuyler,  who  was  then 
a  member  of  Congress,  was  placed  at  its  head.  For  several  ^vt'eks  he  was  occu- 
pied with  duties  divided  between  Congress  Hall  and  headquartei-s  at  Morris- 
to^^^l.  At  the  latter  place  he  hired  a  modest  house,  and  there  enjoyed  the 
company  of  his  vrde  and  his  daughter  Elizal)eth,  a  charming  girl  alwut  twenty- 
two  yeai"s  of  age.  Colonel  Alexander  Hamilton,  Washington's  favorite  staff- 
officer,  had  been  smitten  mth  the  charms  of  this  young  lady  while  in  Al- 
bany some  time  before.  The  acquaintance  was  now  renewed,  and  the  gallant 
young  West-Indian  became  the  accepted  lover  of  Miss  Schuyler.  His  evenings 
were  usually  spent  with  her  at  her  father's  house,  and  not  many  months  after- 
ward they  were  married. 

"Liberty  Hall,"  the  country  home  of  Governor  William  Livingston,  stands 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  railroad-station  in  Elizabeth,  Ne\v  Jei-sey,  on  the  old 
Springfield  turnpike — now  called  Morris  Avenue.  It  is  a  well-]ireservod  monu- 
ment of  colonial  architecture  and  domestic  geography,  a  combination  of  liigh 
ceilings  and  small  windows,  of  numerous  and  spacious  apartments,  narrow  dooi-s 
and  wide  staircases.  It  has  been  raised  one  story,  enlarged  in  the  rear,  and 
modem  glass  has  taken  the  place  of  small  panes  in  many  of  the  \\indows,  to 
meet  the  \news  of  later  occupants;  but  the  great-grandfatheily  fireplaces,  \\\i\\ 
their  antique  brass  andirons,  still  remain,  only  they  are  framed  \\\i\\  marble 
mantels  of  a  later  generation ;  and  the  flavor  and  sacredness  of  the  Revolutioiiai  y 
period  pervade  its  entire  height  and  depth.     Tlif  little  ]>ia/.za  and  enormous 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  91 

hall  of  entrance  are  tangled  bobbins,  from  which  might  be  reeled  many  a  fila- 
ment of  romance  for  the  weaver's  shuttle.  And  the  thousand  and  one  little 
cupboards  and  blind  cubby-holes  in  the  paneling  of  the  walls — artful  con- 
trivances of  an  age  gone  by — are  alive  with  fascinating  reminiscences. 

The  house  was  built  in  1773.  William  Livingston  bought  some  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  this  vicinity  in  1760.  During  the  next  dozen 
years  he  brought  the  soil  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  residing  in  New 
York  City  the  while.  His  hobby  was  fruit-raising.  He  imported  fi-uit-trees, 
chiefly  from  England,  until  he  had  sixty-five  difilerent  kinds  of  pears ;  and  plums, 
cheiTies,  peaches,  and  apples,  in  still  greater  variety.  He  took  so  much  pride  in 
his  Newtown  pippins  that  in  1767  he  shipped  several  barrels  to  a  friend  in  Lon- 
don. He  did  not  succeed  well  with  grapes,  but  his  vegetables  were  the  envy 
of  all  agriculturists.  He  removed  his  family  to  "  Liberty  Hall "  late  in  Novem- 
ber of  the  same  year  of  its  erection.  "  We  are  going  into  cloister  seclusion," 
said  Susan  Livingston,  as  she  bade  adieu  to  her  city  friends.  The  ^vinter  of 
1774  was  a  long  and  very  cold  one  for  the  climate ;  but  there  were  cheery  warmth, 
sweet  song,  and  merry  laughter,  mthin  the  walls  of  the  new  homestead ;  and, 
notwithstanding  the  gloomy  predictions  of  the  four  young  ladies,  that  they 
should  be  "  buried  from  society  in  that  sequestered  part  of  the  globe,"  the  toil- 
some and  muddy  way  from  New  York  was  kept  well  trodden  by  brilliant  and 
ever-welcome  guests. 

William  Li^^ngston  was  the  younger  brother  of  Philip  Livingston,  who 
signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  also  of  Peter  Van  Brugh  Livings- 
ton, Treasui'er  of  the  New  York  Revolutionary  Congress.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Yale  College,  and  a  student  of  law  in  the  office  of  the  celebrated  James 
Alexander.  He  was  an  apt  scholar,  took  marvelous  strides  in  legal  knowledge, 
and  plunged  headlong  into  political  and  religious  controversies  even  before 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  And  every  year  added  to  his  life  rendered  him 
more  independent  in  spirit  and  fearless  in  the  exjiression  of  his  opinions.  He 
was  in  almost  every  instance  aiTayed  on  the  side  which  had  least  to  boast  of 
power  or  present  popularity. 

"  Liberty  Hall "  was  the  first  refuge  of  Alexander  Hamilton  when  he  arrived, 
an  unfriended  stripling,  from  the  West  Indies,  introduced  to  William  Livings- 
ton by  the  celebrated  Hugh  Knox.     The  second  incident  that  renders  the  man- 


9-2  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

siou  interesting  was  the  marriage  of  John  Jay  to  Sarali  Livingston,  Ajtril  28, 
1774,  whose  jM-ond  and  useful  career  is  familiar  to  the  world. 

In  the  mi(l>t  of  the  turbulence  and  the  ferment  of  1776,  AVilliam  Livingston 
was  called  from  his  seat  in  the  Continental  Congress  at  Philadelphia  to  assume 
the  Executive  government  of  the  State  under  its  new  Constitution.  From  that 
time  his  duties  were  as  multifarious  as  they  were  difficult  and  perplexing.  New 
Jersey  was  a  frontier,  and  exposed  to  all  the  miseries  of  a  frontier  warfare. 
Petitions  to  pass  over  the  lines  were  perpetual,  involving  ceaseless,  troublesome, 
and.  invidious  examinations  into  character  and  credentials.  The  people  were 
robbed  and  distressed,  and  constant  alarms  of  invasion  kept  the  Governor  over- 
Avhelmed  with  prayei*s  for  guards  and  pecuniary  assistance,  while  at  the  same 
time  appeals  from  the  prisoners  in  New  York  for  deliverance,  and  calls  for 
fighting  men  and  supplies,  gave  him  no  rest  in  body  or  spirit. 

The  refugees  were  more  to  be  dreaded  and  feared  than  the  British  soldieiy, 
and  their  inroads  resembled  very  nearly  the  border  feuds  and  forays  in  Scot- 
land. They  made  many  attempts  to  burn  "  Liberty  ILall,"  and  threatened  the 
Governor's  life  with  ugly  determination.  He  was  kept  constantly  on  the  wing, 
and  subjected  to  the  greatest  possible  inconvenience  and  danger.  The  Council 
of  Safety,  over  which  he  presided,  met  sometimes  at  Trenton,  sometimes  at  Mor- 
ristown,  and  anywhere  in  the  mountains  and  woods,  as  policy  or  prudence  dic- 
tated. He  had  a  house  at  Parcipany,  where  his  family  staid  f'<»r  a  time,  and, 
while  visiting  them,  his  movements  were  reported,  and  a  party  of  i-efugees 
swooped  do\ra  upon  the  place  in  the  night.  He  had  gentlemen  guests,  and, 
wishing  to  be  sure  of  theii-  prey,  they  concluded  to  lie  in  the  grass  until  day 
light.  AVhen  roused  by  the  morning  sun,  the  "Knight  of  the  most  Honorable 
Order  of  Starvation,"  as  the  Governor  was  called,  had  risen,  and,  wholly  uncon- 
scious of  the  assassination  plot,  was  galloping  ovci'  tlie  road,  miles  away,  to  meet 
some  important  ai)pointment. 

AVith  a  view  solely  to  the  protection  of  tin-  place  by  her  presence,  Mrs.  Liv 
ingston  returned  mth  her  daughters  fi<<in  Parcipany  to  "Liberty  ILill."  And 
it  was  not  long  before  their  courage  and  self-jjossession  were  juit  to  the  sharpest 
test.  A  party  of  British  troops  crossed  the  bay  at  midnight  with  the  avowed 
puqwse  of  "clipping  the  feathers "  of  the  "  (icspot-in-cliicf  of  the  rising  State 
of  New  Jersey."      A   fanner's  son.  on  a  fleet    lioist'  witliont   saddle  or   bridle. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD. 


93 


brought  the  news  of  theii"  approach  to  the  Governor,  who  had  just  barely  time 
to  make  his  escape.  His  recent  correspondence  with  Congress,  the  State  oflScers, 
and  General  Washington,  with  other  valuable  documents,  which  would  have 
been  deadly  ammunition  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  he  confided,  in  the  moment 
of  his  hasty  departure,  to  his  daughter  Susan.  She  crowded  them  into  the  box 
of  a  sulky,  and  had  them  taken  to  an  upper  room. 

It  was  a  snowy  morning  in  February,  and  the  roads  were  hard  to  ti'avel. 


"  Liberty     Hall,"     Elizabeth,     New    Jersey. 


Consequently,  the  day  liad  dawned  before  the  British  soldiers  came  in  sight, 
Susan  Livingston  stepped  upon  the  roof  of  the  piazza,  and  stood  ^vith  a  bright- 
colored  shawl  thro\vn  about  her,  watching  for  the  red-coats.  A  horseman  in 
front  of  the  detachment  rode  hastily  up  and  begged  her  to  retire,  lest  some  of 
the  soldiers  from  a  distance  should  mistake  her  for  a  man,  and  fire  at  her.  She 
attempted  to  climb  in  at  the  window,  and  found  it  impossible,  although  it  had 
been  easy  enough  to  get  out.  The  oflicer,  seeing  her  dilemma,  sprang  from  his 
horse,  ran  iuto  the  house,  aud  to  the  roof,  and  very  gallantly  lifted  her  through 


94  THE   HOMES    OE  AMERICA. 

the  easement.  She  was  a  handsome  young  woman  of  magnetic  presence,  and, 
turning  to  thank  her  preserver,  she  inquired  to  whom  she  was  indebted  for  the 
courtesy. 

"  Lord  Catheart,"  Avas  the  reply. 

"  And  will  you,"  she  asked,  with  a  sudden  childishness  of  manner,  "  protect 
a  little  box  which  contains  my  own  pereonal  property?"  then  added,  ijuickly, 
"  if  you  -vnsh,  I  will  unlock  the  libi-ary,  and  let  you  have  all  my  father's  })apei"S." 

Her  ruse  was  a  success.  A  guard  was  placed  over  the  box  while  the  house 
w  as  ransacked.  There  are  cuts  now  upon  the  balustei-s  of  the  staircase  left  by 
the  angry  Hessians  as  they  found  themselves  checked  in  the  work  which  they 
came  to  peii'orm.  They  stuffed  a  large  (juantity  of  old  law  pa[)ers,  of  no  pos- 
sible use  to  any  one,  into  their  sacks,  to  which  they  had  been  directed  with 
apparent  i-eluctance  by  the  young  lady,  and  tramped  back  to  New  York.  Some 
of  the  leaders  of  this  exjiedition  wei'e  heard  afterwai'd  to  remark  that  it  did  not 
seem  possible  that  two  sucli  charming  and  ainial)le  ladies  (referring  to  Susan 
and  Kitty  Livingston)  could  be  the  daughtei-s  of  the  "aroh-fiend"  of  whom 
they  Avere  in  pursuit. 

Meanwhile  the  son  and  brother,  Brockholst  Livingston,  \\\\o  was  graduated 
from  Princeton  College  in  1777,  and  made  a  ca})taln  in  the  anny,  and  one  of  the 
aides  of  General  Schuyler,  before  he  was  twenty,  had  attained  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-colonel,  and,  under  a  furlough  from  Congress,  had  sailed  with  ]\Ir.  and 
Mrs.  Jay  for  Spain.  It  was  he  who,  after  the  war,  became  so  prominent  a  law- 
yer in  New  York,  and  was  tinall}'  made  a  Judge  <if  the  Supreme  Court. 

In  June,  1780,  when  the  British  made  their  mtiii(>ra])le  incm-sion  into  New 
Jersey,  "  Liberty  Hall "  met  with  another  narrow  I'scape.  The  Governor  was 
at  IVIorristown,  and  the  men-servants  all  took  I'efuge  in  the  woods.  The  flames 
of  Spriiigfielil,  and  of  Connecticut  Fanns,  were  in  full  view,  and  soldiers  were 
continually  jiassing  the  house  all  that  dreadful  day.  In  the  morning  three  or 
four  officers  had  called,  and  had  a  shoi't  interview  with  ]\Irs.  Livingston  and  her 
dauo-hters.  They  went  away  so  full  of  admiration  at  the  coolness  and  intre- 
]>idity  of  the  ladies,  as  to  swear  they  should  not  be  harmed.  The  Kivington 
"  Gazette,"  the  organ  of  l^ritish  interest  during  the  Kevolution,  said  Susan  Liv- 
ingston gave  one  of  the  otiicers  a  rose,  as  a  iiiciiifiito  of  piotection. 

At  all  events,  the  house  was  spared,  and   tlu'  iimiatcs  treated  with   courtesy. 


COLONIAL    PERIOD.  95 

Late  in  the  evening  some  British  officers  called  and  announced  their  intention 
of  lodging  at  "  Liberty  Hall."  It  was  regarded  as  an  assurance  of  safety  to  the 
family,  and  the  ladies  retii-ed.  About  midnight  there  was  a  gi-eat  hubbub,  the 
officers  being  called  hastily  away  by  some  stai-tling  news.  There  was  firing  all 
along  the  road.  Presently  a  band  of  di-unken  refugees  came  staggering  thi-ough 
the  gi-ounds,  and,  mth  horrid  oaths,  broke  into  the  hall.  The  women-sei-vants 
huddled  into  the  kitchen,  and  the  ladies  locked  themselves  into  one  of  the 
chambers.  Their  retreat  was  soon  discovered,  and,  finding  the  door  was  about 
to  be  bm-st  in,  Kitty  Livingston  stepped  forward  and  resolutely  opened  it.  A 
di-unken  niffian  grasped  her  by  the  aim,  and  she,  with  the  quickness  of  thought, 
seized  him  by  the  coat-collar.  Just  then  a  flash  of  lightning  illuminated  the 
scene,  revealing  the  lady's  white  robes,  as  well  as  white,  scared  face,  and  the 
wretch  fell  back  -with  an  oath,  "  Good  God  !  it  is  Mrs.  CaldweU,  whom  we 
killed  to-day  ! "  Meanwhile  the  same  merciful  light  showed  to  Susan  Livings- 
ton the  face  of  one  of  theu'  former  neighbors  among  the  assailants,  and,  taking 
advantage  of  her  discoveiy,  she  secured  his  intervention,  and  the  house  was 
cleared. 

Governor  Livingston  wrote  a  letter  shortly  after  this  to  his  brother  Robert, 
of  Livingston  Manor,  in  which,  speaking  of  the  contemplated  visit  of  one  of  his 
daughters,  he  said  :  "  I  fear  Susan  will  be  troublesome  in  a  house  so  fuU  of  com- 
pany as  youi's ;  but  my  poor  girls  are  so  terrified  at  the  fi-equent  incursions  of 
the  refugees,  that  it  is  a  kind  of  cruelty  to  insist  upon  their  stapng  at  home, 
particularly  as  their  mother  chooses  her  solitaiy  life  rather  than  expose  them  to 
such  continual  and  disagreeable  apprehensions.  But  she  herself  will  keep  the 
ground  to  save  the  place  from  ruin ;  and  I  must  quit  it  to  save  my  body  from 
the  provost  in  New  York.  But,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  we  shall  soon  diive  the 
devils  to  Old  England." 

Kitty  Li^^ngston  was  several  times  during  the  war  for  weeks  in  camp  with 
Lady  Stirling,  who  was  Governor  Livingston's  sister.  She  was  not,  strictly  speak- 
ing, a  beauty ;  she  was  darker  than  Mrs.  Jay,  and  slighter  and  more  delicate 
than  her  sister  Susan.  But  her  vivacity  and  general  infoiination  rendered  her 
very  attractive.  She  was  a  piquant  and  pleasing  letter-^^Titer,  and  kept  Mrs. 
Jay  informed  of  the  condition  of  public  affairs  in  America.  Tidbits  of  gossip 
are  sprinkled  through  her  correspondence :  on  one  occasion  she  describes  the 


()(\  Till-:    HOMES     OF    AMHRICA. 

weddintr  of  lier  cousin,  Lady  Kitty  Ak'xaii(U'r,  daughter  of  Lord  8tirlin<r,  who 
was  married  to  Colonel  William  Duer,  at  Baskiugridge,  New  Jersey,  1779;  and, 
at  another  time,  she  tells  how  lively  it  is  in  Moiristown,  and  lu>\\  their  young 
friend  Alexandei'  Hamilton  is  engaged  to  Ketsy  Sehuyler.  She  was  often  in- 
trusted by  her  father  with  the  forwarding  of  important  documents  to  his  Euro- 
pean correspondents;  and  she  always  rallied  him  upon  his  ignorance  ot  her 
character  when  he  hesitated  about  imparting  io  her  any  unpleasant  ncAvs.  She 
was  married  at  "  Liberty  Hall,"  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war,  to  Matthew 
Ridley,  of  Baltimore. 

The  end  finally  came,  after  a  struggle  of  eight  yeai-s.  England's  colors  came 
down,  and  her  loyal  sons  put  their  powder-horns  into  their  jiacking-l)oxes. 
It  was  a  costly  victory  whicli  had  been  won,  and  many  a  tear  fell  amid  the 
general  rejoicings.  From  all  <iuarters  came  together  the  limbs  and  fragments 
of  dismembered  families.  But  charred  and  silent  ruins  greeted  veiy  many 
of  them  in  place  of  the  hajipy  homes  they  had  left,  (tovei'nor  Livingston 
returned  to  the  jieaceful  })ossession  of  "  Liberty  Hall,"  one  of  the  most  pro- 
foundly grateful  of  men.  The  afternoon  sun  again  streamed  through  his  library, 
which  Avas  the  great  west  room  of  the  mansion,  and  he  entei'ed  with  peculiai- 
zest  into  all  the  jileasures  and  affairs  of  his  family.  Society  Avas  reconstructed 
upon  pretty  nearly  the  old  basis,  and  dinners,  and  fetea,  and  charming  reunions, 
taxed  his  high-bred  hospitality,  and  made  him  young  again.  There  were  love- 
romances  on  the  piazza  and  stately  weddings  in  his  2>arlors,  and  he  grew  meriy 
and  slightly  corpulent  amid  it  all.  But  his  mind  was  ill  at  ease  about  the  new 
nation,  whicli  stood  like  a  young  child  tiying  to  take  its  fii*st  lesson  in  walking. 

Lidividual  j)ecuniary  ruin,  a  national  debt,  an  impoverished  country,  a  gov- 
ernment which  had  not  power  to  enforce  the  })ayment  of  taxes,  or  settle  con- 
flicting claims,  and  no  liarmony  of  action  among  the  sovereign  States,  which  hail 
simply  leagued  together  to  resist  a  common  enemy,  made  rather  a  dubious  out- 
look. After  much  visionary  scheming  came  a  convention,  which  framed  a  con- 
stitution. Proniiiieiit  among  the  fifty-live  learned  and  dignilied  men  who  assem- 
bled in  Indepen<lence  Hall  was  Go\ernor  Livingston,  repiesenting  New  Jei-sey. 
He  had  aged  materially  since  we  met  him  in  the  same  ]ilace  eleven  yeaiv  l)efore, 
and  intense  republicanism  had  crojipcd  out  even  in  his  toilet.  He  was  now 
dressed  in  a  ]>lani  suit  of  black.      "  liemenilier,  gentlemen,"  •^aid    lie,  "our  luisi- 


COLOXIAL    PERIOD.  97 

uess  is  to  define  for  centuries,  perliaps  for  ever,  tlie  just  limits  of  iiulividual 
liberty  and  public  sovereignty." 

Washington  was  on  familiar  teiins  ^\\^\\  Governor  Livingston,  and  was  often 
entertained  at  "  Liberty  Hall."  ]\Irs.  Washington,  while  Journeying  in  her  pri- 
vate carriage  fi'om  Mount  Vernon  to  join  her  husband  in  May,  1789,  was  enter- 
tained at  "  Liberty  Hall."  This  last  was  a  marked  occasion.  The  mansion  was 
decorated  "with  ilowers,  and  Governor  Li\"ingston's  children — a  gifted  gathering 
of  men  and  women — were  present  to  help  do  the  honors.  The  guest-chamber 
occupied  by  Mrs.  Washington  was  over  the  libraiy.  The  one  set  apart  for  the 
use  of  Mrs.  Robert  Morris  was  over  the  hall  in  the  center  of  the  front  of  the 
mansion.  The  following  morning  President  Washington  and  suite  met  Mrs. 
Washington  and  her  retinue  of  attendants,  and  escorted  her  to  New  York. 

"  Liberty  Hall "  was  shortly  in  mourning.  Mrs.  Livingston  died  in  July, 
and  a  few  mouths  later  Governor  Li\'iugston  completed  his  useful  and  eventful 
life.  Few  public  men  have  inspired  warmer  personal  friendship,  or  been  con- 
signed to  the  tomb  with  more  touching  tenderness  and  genuine  respect. 

"  Liberty  Hall "  soon  passed  into  the  hands  of  strangers.  It  had  a  romantic 
episode.  It  was  purchased  by  Lord  Bolingbroke,  who  ran  away  fi-om  England 
with  the  schoolgirl  daughter  of  Baron  Hompasch,  leaving  an  estimable  wife  to 
break  her  heai-t. 

Other  changes  came  s^\'iftly.  The  Governor's  l^rother,  Peter  Van  Brugh 
Livingston,  had  a  daiighter  Susan,  who  married  Congressman  John  Kean.  She 
was  left  a  Avidow,  during  which  period  she  pui'chased  "  Liberty  Hall,"  and  took 
up  her  residence  there.  She  afterward  manied  Count  Niemcewicz,  a  Polish 
nobleman  and  poet.  The  beautiful  country-seat  became  once  more  the  center 
of  attraction  for  statesmen,  scholars,  and  celebrities.  It  has  ever  since  been  in 
the  possession  of  the  Kean  family.  The  mantle  of  proprietorship  rests  at 
present  upon  the  shoulders  of  Colonel  John  Kean,  the  grandson  of  the  Countess 
Niemcewicz,  great-grand-nephew  of  Governor  Livingston,  and  brother-in-law  of 
Hon.  Hamilton  Fish. 


n. 


LATER    PERTOD. 


i,       I     . 


Residence    ol'    Ihe    lule    General    Worth. 


DUKIN(i  tln'  last    tlircc  (l(ra(K's  df  tlu'  ci^litet'iitli  ceutuiy,  and  oiio  or  two 
in  the  l)epiiiiiiiL:'  <'i'  the  nineteenth,  domestic  architecture  in  America  was 
in  a  sin't  of  transition  state.      Kxistinir  styles  were  more  frequently  coiiied  than 


LATER    PERIOD.  99 

new  fonus  and  features  introduceil.  Solidity  of  foundation,  enormous  cliimneys, 
gambrel-roofs,  mde  entrance-balls,  spacious  apartments,  and  a  bald  exterior,  dis- 
appeared only  by  slow  degrees  before  tlae  marcli  of  modern  invention  wth  its 
Gothic  points  and  verandas,  its  patent  heating  apparatuses,  and  bay-windows. 
At  the  same  time  a  subtile  prepai'ation  was  in  progress  for  the  more  pretentious 
villa  of  recent  years.  Many  of  the  structures  of  this  period  are  now  the 
homes  of  gentlemen  of  taste  and  refinement.  Some  of  them  are  rich  with  the 
indications  of  antiquity,  while  others  have  undergone  rejiairs  and  alterations, 
appearing  in  new  roofs,  windows,  and  wings,  until,  like  Sydney  Smith's  ancient 
green  chariot  vn.i\\  its  new  wheels,  axles,  and  springs,  there  is  little  to  show  just 
where  the  old  ends  and  the  new  begins.  They  present  a  unique  combination 
of  characteristics  which  are  neither  colonial  nor  modern,  and  yet  partaking  of 
the  elements  of  both. 

An  effort  for  strictly  scientific  architecture  may  lie  traced  in  a  class  of 
stately  dwellings  that  were  erected  about  this  time  at  various  points  along 
the  shore  of  the  Hudson  and  in  Virginia,  as  at  Arlington,  opposite  the  city  of 
Washington.  An  example  is  the  mansion  which  was  the  temporary  home  of 
the  late  famous  General  William  Jenkins  Worth,  on  the  road  to  Troy  above 
Albany.  In  following  Greek  prototypes  almost  as  much  space  was  devoted  to 
porticoes  and  colonnades  as  to  rooms.  The  fashion  soon  declined,  for  it  was 
better  adapted  to  public  than  private  buildings.  Faultless  pediments,  Doric 
and  Ionic  columns,  and  the  window  tracery  of  temples,  were  by  no  means  the 
expression  of  domestic  feeling ;  it  was  impracticable  to  make  cheerful  homes  of 
reduced  copies  of  the  Parthenon.  The  illustration  introduces  us  to  a  large, 
square,  roomy  edifice  overlooking  the  Hudson,  the  broad  portico  of  Avhich  -with 
its  Ionic  columns  extends  across  the  entire  front.  The  view  from  this  point  is 
one  of  the  finest  on  the  river,  and  the  grounds  are  delightfully  shaded  \\\t\i 
handsome  old  trees,  the  forest-growth  of  centuries.  General  Worth  was  born 
in  Hudson,  New  York,  in  1794,  and  died  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  in  18-49.  His 
distinction,  so  pleasantly  associated  with  this  old-time  mansion,  was  honestly 
earned.  He  was  in  the  military  service  of  the  United  States  for  a  period  cov- 
ering some  thirty-six  years,  including  the  War  of  1812-'15,  that  ^nth  the  Flor- 
ida Indians  of  1840-42,  and  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Mexican  struggle  of 
1846-'48.     He  was  a  man  of  imposing  martial  presence  and  agreeable  manners, 


100  I'll^-^   HOMES     OF   AMERICA. 

as  brave  and  oliivalrous  as  an  accomplished  tactician.  The  house  which  he 
owned  and  occupied  for  a  few  years  when  not  in  active  warfare  is  hardly  less  a 
monument  to  his  memory  tliaii  tliat  wliicli  has  been  erected  by  the  city  of 
New  York  in  his  honor  on  the  little  triangle  at  the  Junction  of  Fifth  Avenue 
and  Broadway,  fronting  Madison  Square,  and  beneath  which  his  remains  are 
interred. 

Montgomeiy  Place,  standing  upon  an  elevation  overlooking  the  Hudson 
from  the  east  and  almost  directly  opposite  the  Catskills,  has  less  of  architectural 
individuality  than  many  of  the  homes  of  America,  but  it  is  a  mansion  which 
has  recently  passed  its  one  hundredth  birth-year,  and  in  point  of  romantic  inter- 
est, historical  associations,  and  local  charms,  is  almost  unsurpassed  in  this  coun- 
try. It  was  built  by  the  wife  of  General  Richard  Montgomery,  who  fell  in  the 
unfortunate  expedition  of  the  Americans  against  Quebec  in  December,  1775. 
She  was  of  the  notable  family  of  Livingston,  the  sister  of  Chancellor  and  Ed- 
ward Livingston,  two  of  Ne^v  York's  prominent  Jurists  and  statesmen.  And 
what  gives  the  place  additional  attraction  is  the  fact  of  its  having  been  the 
home  of  Edward  Livingston  himself  after  the  death  of  Mi-s.  Montgomeiy.  He 
had  been  sixteen  yeare  in  Congress,  Secretary  of  State  to  the  nation.  Minister 
to  France,  and  a  lawgiver  known  and  revered  in  all  civilizt'd  t'ountries,  when 
he  retired  from  public  life,  and  resigned  himself  to  the  fujoyuHMit  of  domestic 
happiness  luider  this  roof. 

Mrs.  Montgomery  had  bought  the  ])i'(>pcity — several  luuKhvd  acres  of  land 
— from  an  old  Dutch  farmer  Just  jjrior  to  her  husband's  departure  for  Canada. 
It  had  oi-igiindly  formed  a  part  of  the  Schuyler  patent.  It  was  a  few  miles 
soiith  of  the  Livingston  Manoi'.  The  mansion  was  projected  in  the  autumn  of 
1775,  and  completed  in  the  spring,  a  few  months  after  the  death  of  (Tcneral 
Montgomery.  He  never  saw  it ;  but  in  one  of  his  last  lettei-s  to  his  wife  he  re- 
marked :  ■  I  long  to  see  you  in  your  new  house,  and  wish  you  coidd  get  a  stove 
fixed  in  the  hall ;  they  are  the  most  comfortable  things  imaginable."  Hon.  \N'il- 
liam  Jones,  the  nephew  of  Montgomery,  superintended  the  erection  of  the  edi- 
fice, giving  as  a  plan  that  of  his  father's  (Lord  Ranelagh)  house  in  Ireland. 

The  views  fi-om  all  sides  of  the  mansion  are  beautiful.  The  river  below  is 
veiy  wide,  and  so  full  of  little  islands  that  it  reminds  travelers  of  the  English 


LATER    PERIOD.  101 

lakes.  To  the  north  a  stretch  of  picturescjue  scenery  for  forty  miles  completes 
as  fine  a  picture  as  the  most  exacting  artist  could  desire.  And  yet  the  home- 
landscape  of  rich  woods  and  lawns,  mth  the  receding  mountains  beyond,  the 
half -hidden  valleys  threaded  with  dark,  intricate,  and  mazy  walks,  the  bold  and 
noisy  waterfalls  dashing  down  romantic  steeps,  and  a  pretty  lake  gleaming 
from  an  avalanche  of  shadows,  is  so  restful  that  you  almost  consign  yourself 
to  the  five  or  more  miles  from  the  landing  of  private  roads  and  rambles,  Avith 
their  cozy  nooks  and  rustic  seats,  without  any  care  for  the  beautiful  beyond. 

The  main  part  of  the  house  is  about  sixty  feet  in  length  by  fifty  feet  ^\dde. 
The  Avings  were  added  b}'  Mrs.  Edward  Livingston  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  centuiy.  At  a  still  later  date  an  elegant  Corinthian  portico  was  added 
by  Mrs.  Barton,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Livingston.  All  the  additions  have 
been  made  with  such  singular  taste  that  the  harmony  of  the  original  structure 
is  presei-ved  intact.  A  broad  veranda  with  an  Italian  balustrade  extends 
around  two  thirds  of  the  house.  The  northern  wing,  or  pavilion,  is  a  delightful 
summer  parlor,  and  constantly  used  as  such  ;  it  is  furnished  with  china,  chaii'S, 
and  vases,  and  marble  table. 

The  entrance-hall  is  peculiar.  It  is  a  soi-t  of  antechamber.  Tlie  frames  of 
the  doors  are  of  the  most  unique  description,  -with  old-fashioned  inverted  col- 
umns, such  as  belong  to  the  architectui'e  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The 
library  is  just  as  it  was  furnished  by  Mrs.  Montgomery  one  hundred  years  ago 
in  old  Beauvais  tapestry.  The  most  prominent  object  of  interest  within  this 
apartment  is  a  bust  of  Edward  Livingston,  by  Ball  Hughes.  Numerous  family 
portraits  cover  the  walls. 

The  dra^^•ing■■room  is  next  to  the  libraiy.  The  decorations  were,  by  order 
of  Mrs.  Edward  Li^•^ngston,  in  imitation  of  one  of  Mrs.  Madison's  rooms  at  the 
White  House,  which  was  greatly  admired  at  that  period.  The  only  portrait  in 
this  apartment  is  that  of  Mrs.  Edward  Livingston  herself.  It  represents  her  in 
the  heyday  of  her  youth  and  beauty,  at  the  age  of  about  seventeen.  The  dress 
is  that  of  the  Empire,  and  resembles  the  pictures  of  the  court  beauties  at  Ver- 
sailles. The  countenance  is  remarkable  for  the  mind  which  shines  through  the 
perfect  outline  and  symmetiy  of  feature. 

To  those  who  are  familiar  vdt\\  the  ^Jiincipal  events  of  Mrs.  Livingston's  life 
this  portrait  possesses  a  rare  fascination,  and  seems  pervaded  w'lih  that  ma^- 


I(t2 


'/■///•;    HOMES    OF   AMEIUCA. 


netic  influence  wlii.h  li;i>  niid.TiMl  Ium' iH-rsiMial  Ix-auty^iviuarkable  culture, and 
many  trifts  and  j^^raccs,  liisturical  in  tlu-  annals  of  the  liiLdicr  social  life  of  Amer- 


ica.     She  was   Ixn-n  on    the  island    of  St.  Doniinp),  in    1772.      Her  father,  Jean 
Pierre  Valentin  Josej)!!  d'Avezac  de  Castera,  was  a  scion  of  the  French  iioKilitv. 


LATER    PERIOD.  103 

and  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  important  and  influential  men  on  the  isl- 
and. Louise  (Mrs.  Livingston)  was  precocious  as  a  child,  and  educated  with 
her  brothers.  She  studied  the  classics  both  ancient  and  modem  while  a  mere 
infant,  as  it  were,  and  retained  them  in  her  memory  through  life.  Her  brother 
Auguste  was  near  her  o\vn  age  and  her  student-companion.  Louise  was  mar- 
ried at  the  age  of  thii'teen  to  M.  Moreau  de  Lasse,  a  French  gentleman  of  for- 
tune, who  took  her  to  reside  in  Jamaica.  At  eighteen  she  was  a  widow  in  the 
home  of  her  parents.  Then  came  the  Revolution,  with  all  its  tragic  scenes. 
Her  father  Avas  killed ;  her  mother,  almost  broken-hearted,  resolved  to  remain 
and  protect  the  plantation ;  and  Louise,  with  a  little  sister  six  years  old,  an 
aged  grandmother,  and  an  aunt  ^vith  two  young  lady  daughters,  attended  by  a 
few  faithful  slaves,  crept  through  a  dense  forest  in  a  circuitous  way,  concealed 
themselves  a  day  and  a  night  in  the  underbrush,  and  finally  reached  a  boat 
which  had  been  engaged  to  take  them  to  an  English  frigate,  that  had  agreed  to 
furnish  them  the  means  of  escape.  The  boat,  with  its  precious  freight,  was  but 
a  few  rods  from  the  shore  when  it  was  detected  by  a  band  of  negro  desjDera- 
does,  who  fired,  killing  instantly  the  aged  grandmother  and  one  of  the  slaves. 
The  remainder  of  the  party  reached  the  frigate,  and  after  a  long  and  perilous 
voyage,  and  confusion  and  distress  and  the  most  thrilling  incidents  at  sea,  were 
finally  landed  in  New  Orleans.  They  were  penniless,  but  sold  theii*  jewels, 
rented  a  small  cottage,  and  took  in  sewing  for  a  livelihood. 

New  Orleans  at  that  period  was  a  somewhat  primitive  towTi.  It  had,  nev- 
ertheless, a  cultivated  social  circle,  meeting  informally  every  week.  The  D'Ave- 
zac  name  was  well  known,  and  the  young  widoAv  and  her  cousins  were  cordially 
received  into  the  clique,  and  quickly  became  stars  of  the  first  magnitude.  Ma- 
dame Moreau  was  frank,  easy,  and  winning,  was  fond  of  music,  painting,  and 
sculpture,  and  possessed  a  poetic  fancy,  which  gave  coloring  to  her  thoughts 
and  opinions.  She  was  the  recipient  of  homage  from  the  most  gifted  and 
learned,  and  was  admired  and  courted  by  all.  It  was  here  that  she  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Edward  Livingston.  They  were  married  on  the  3d  of  June, 
1805.  Their  home  in  New  Orleans  was  the  central  point  of  attraction  for  the 
learned  and  the  gay,  and  the  resort  of  every  foreigner  of  distinction  who  visited 
this  country.  Their  breakfast-table,  spread  upon  the  broad  veranda,  and  shaded 
by  orange-  and  fig-trees,  was  often  enlivened  hy  literary  readings.     Their  do- 


1(14  nil-:    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

mestic  ciivlf  was  a  chaniiiiii,'  one,  aiwl  ikhk'  wciv  adiiiitteil  within  its  nmtiues, 
and  listiMU'(l  to  the  clear  and  silvery  voice  of  its  fair  young  mistress  as  she 
talkeil  law  and  literature,  but  canied  away  memories  destined  to  liNe  for  ever. 
In  the  course  of  years  the  Avheel  of  destiny  removed  Mrs.  Livingston  to  Wash- 
ington. Iler  husband  occupied  a  seat  in  the  Senate  of  the  T'nited  States  for 
ten  yeai-s,  and  was  then  appointed  Secretary  of  State.  During  this  latter  pe- 
riod she  assisted  the  ladies  of  President  Jackson's  family  in  presiding  at  the 
White  House.  She  accompanied  her  husl)and  to  Paris  when  he  went  to  till  his 
appointment  as  Minister  to  France.  She  was  received  in  the  most  cordial  and 
flattering  manner  by  the  royal  family.  The  Queen  and  Madame  Adelaide  be- 
came excessively  fond  of  her,  and  invited  her  often  to  visit  them  unceremo- 
niously. She  was  esteemed  the  most  gifted  as  well  as  beautiful  woman  at  the 
French  court.  After  the  return  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Livingston  to  America,  they 
took  up  their  abode  at  Montgomery  Place,  which  had  descended  to  him  from  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Montgomery,  where  he  died.  Mrs.  Livingston  ct>ntinued  to  reside 
at  Montgomery  Place  to  the  end  of  her  romantic  life,  more  than  a  (juartcr  of  a 
century  after  her  husband's  death. 

Up  stairs  is  the  little  law  library  from  which  E<lward  Livingston  wrote  the 
great  penal  code  w^hich  rendered  his  name  illustrious  all  over  the  civilized 
Avorld.  The  desk  of  the  great  lawgiver  is  sacredly  preserved,  besides  the  books 
which  Itear  the  marks  of  use  as  well  as  anti(|uity.  His  fishing-rod  and  fishing- 
tackle  hang  in  the  very  places  w'here  he  last  left  them;  and  his  hat  rests  upon 
its  accustomed  hook. 

The  drawing-room  oi)ens  into  the  dining-room  with  old-fashioned  portts  a 
deux  baitants.  h\  the  dining-rooin  you  find  a  large  collection  of  family  por- 
traits. Chief  among  them  are  those  of  Chancellor  Livingston,  Edward  Living- 
ston, and  General  Montgomery.  The  latter  is  the  only  original  jiortrait  of  the 
hero  of  (^)ue])ec  which  we  have  in  this  country.  It  represents  him  \\  hen  a  young 
man  of  about  twenty-five,  a  captain  in  the  British  armv.  The  countenance 
is  frank,  gallant,  and  handsome,  and  indicates  a  generous  and  amiable  temper. 

After  Mi"s.  Edward  Livingston,  Montgomery  Place  was  owned  and  occupicil 
by  her  daughter,  IMrs.  Cora  Livingston  Barton.  It  is  now  in  the  i)ossession  of 
the  collateral  descendants  of  Mi-s.  Edward  Livingston,  Mr.  Carlton  Hunt  and 
his  sisters. 


LATER    PERIOD.  105 

"  Bedford  House,"  tlie  seat  of  the  Jays,  in  Westchester  County,  some  forty- 
five  miles  uorth  of  the  city  of  New  Yorlv,  was  built  soou  after  the  Revolution. 
It  stands  upon  an  eminence  overlooking  a  wide  extent  of  rolling  country,  about 
midway  between  the  Hudson  River  and  Long  Island  Sound.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  commanding  in  situation,  as  well  as  picturesque  in  surroundings,  interest- 
ing in  association,  and  unpretentious  in  its  arrangements,  of  the  "  Homes  of 
America."  The  prospect  from  the  mansion  embraces  valleys  of  rare  beauty 
stretching  off  in  the  distance,  to  where  a  circle  of  hills  seems  to  girt  the  region 
— a  landscape  varied  with  sunny  slopes,  graceful  undulations,  and  bits  of  river 
peeping  through  rich  foliage,  and  dotted  mth  farms  and  villages.  The  Hud- 
son, fifteen  miles  away,  is  just  hidden  by  the  line  of  hills  upon  its  eastern  shore, 
conspicuous  above  which  tower  the  Highlands  opposite,  with  Dunderberg  rest- 
ino-  against  the  western  sky.  The  whole  scene  is  one  great  nest  of  cloud-shad- 
ows in  the  summer  days.  And  nowhere  are  sunsets  more  gorgeous.  Crimson 
blazes  along  the  western  hills,  gradually  changing  into  orange  and  pui-ple,  and 
finally  merging  into  a  deep,  glowing  brown,  Avhile  the  heavens  pale  and  darken, 
and  the  softness  of  shade  creeps  over  all  above  and  below. 

The  Jay  property  extends  over  eight  hundred  acres,  and,  although  railways 
have  long  since  cut  their  capricious  way  through  the  countiy  to  the  east  and  to 
the  west  of  it,  no  car-whistle  has  ever  penetrated  its  rural  quietude.  The  man- 
sion is  foxir  miles  from  the  station,  and  a  half-mile  or  more  from  the  main  road ; 
it  is  reached  by  a  private  avenue,  ^vhich  winds  artistically  up  a  smooth  eleva- 
tion, curving  and  bending  about  venerable  oaks,  maples,  birches,  and  umbrella- 
elms,  passing  well-cultivated  gardens,  and  finally  cuts  a  circle  in  a  wide  velvet 
lawn,  and  terminates  under  the  shadow  of  four  superb  lindens  in  front  of  the 
dwelling. 

A  hall  sixteen  feet  wide  extends  through  the  entire  building,  the  rear  door 
opening  upon  a  background  of  hill  crowned  with  oaks,  chestnut-trees,  and  gi- 
gantic -willows.  The  walls  of  the  entrance-hall  are  hung  with  rare  old  paint- 
ino-s  amono-  which  are  the  portraits  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  Thomas  Jefferson, 
Georo-e  Washington,  John  Adams,  James  Monroe,  William  Jay,  son  of  the  Chief 
Justice  the  Hon.  John  Jay,  and  the  present  owner  of  the  estate.  Here  is, 
also,  a  remarkable  unfinished  painting,  by  Benjamin  West,  of  the  signing  of 
the  definitive  treaty  between  this  country  and  England,  containing  portraits 


lOH  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

of  Chief  Justice  Jay,  Fraukliii,  Adams,  Laurens,  and  Teinple  Franklin.  The 
artist  was  evideutly  obliiretl  to  pause  in  his  woik  through  inability  t«>  obtain 
the  portrait  of  Daviil  Hartley,  the  English  ooinmissioner. 

Two  large  i)arlors  at  the  left  extend  through  the  house,  and  are  connected  by 
old-time  class  doors.  There  is  a  (juiet  elegance  about  the  antique  aiii)ointinents 
in  keepin<rwith  the  structure  itself,  which  charms,  Avhile  the  variety  l)ewildei-><. 
A  broad  divan,  with  heavy  Oriental  coverings  and  pillow  s,  curious  cabinets  and 
tables,  ancient  mirrors,  rare  porcelain,  exquisite  vases,  and  fireplaces,  with  the 
brass  andirons  and  ([uaint  l)ellows  of  eighty  years  ago,  divi(U'  attention  with 
masterpieces  of  art  u]ioii  the  walls,  and  the  faces  of  men  wlm  lielped  to  fashion 
our  national  structure.  The  portrait  of  Chief  Justice  Jay  in  his  robes  of  ottice, 
by  Stuart,  is  one  of  the  l)est  paintings  ever  executed  by  that  artist.  It  repre- 
sents Ja\  in  the  vigor  of  his  manhood,  about  the  time  when  he,  through  excep- 
tional foresight,  diplomatic  ability,  and  firmness,  obtained  the  three  most  im]ior- 
tant  and  valuable  concessions  ever  gained  by  the  United  States  from  foieign 
countries — the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi,  the  participation  in  the  British 
fisheries,  and  the  trade  with  the  AVest  Indies.  The  i)ortrait  of  the  beautiful 
wife  of  the  Chief  Justice,  ^\■ho  was  the  daughter  of  (Jovernor  AVilliam  Living- 
ston, the  master  of  "Liberty  Hall,"  illustrated  on  a  former  page,  also  graces 
this  apartment,  and  is  a  gem  in  itself,  independent  of  the  histt>rical  interest 
which  clusters  about  one  so  distinguished  as  a  leader  in  the  social  circles  of  the 
infant  lepublic.  Ancestral  pictures  hang  upon  every  side.  Govenior  AVilliam 
Livinirston  as  a  boy,  in  full-sleeved  coat  and  elaborate  costume  of  his  time,  with 
swortl  hanging  by  his  side;  the  strong,  expressive  features,  in  wig  setting,  of 
Augustus  Jay,  grand  father  of  the  Chief  Justice,  who  settled  among  us  at  the 
time  the  Huguenot  mo\ement  sent  so  much  of  the  best  blood  of  France  to  our 
shores — a  study,  the  brush  of  a  master-hand  having  done  justice  to  the  refined 
and  accomplished  character  of  the  man ;  and,  in  the  back  parlor,  one  of  Hun- 
tington's finest  pi-oductions,  a  life-size  portrait  of  Mi's.  John  Jay,  the  present 
mistress  of  "Bedford  House" — are  perhaps  the  three  most  notable  in  this  gal- 
leiy  of  treasures. 

The  dining-room,  u])on  the  right  of  the  enti'ance-hall,  some  twenty  feet 
Sfpiare,  is  invested  with  the  same  air — antique  and  artistic.  High,  old-fashioned 
sideboards,  elaborately  carved,  straight-l)ackcd   I'hairs,  tall   silver  candlesticks, 


LATER    PERIOD. 


107 


-i^^4^,4jW>S  »*»WVK5 


108  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

(juaiiit  Illinois,  and  the  rarest  oi  ancient  porcelain,  are  overlooked  by  the  works 
of  Tnimbull  and  Stuart,  and  some  of  the  old  mastei-s.  Trumbuirs  "Alexan- 
der Ilaiiiilton"  is  the  best  portrait  in  the  room,  and  rarely  any  pictiu'e  of  the 
great  financier  reveals  more  distinctly  the  nature  which  inspired  such  warm 
attachments  among  his  friends,  and  such  bitter  hatred  among  his  foes.  The 
Patroon,  Van  Rensselaer,"  and  "  Judge  Egbert  Benson,"  by  Stuart,  are  choice 
mementos  of  a  period  which  we  never  tii-e  of  rcAnewing.  A  bust  of  tlir  C'liief 
Justice,  finely  cut,  stands  iipon  a  marble  pedestal  in  one  comer ;  and  a  painting, 
\vhich  represents  his  wife  in  a  picturesque  hat,  with  two  children  by  her  side, 
hangs  upon  the  opposite  wall.  Among  the  other  portraits  of  interest  are  those 
of  Peter  Jay  and  his  wife,  Mary  Van  Cortlandt,  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
Chief  Justice ;  it  was  through  this  lady  that  the  large  landed  estate  in  Bedford 
came  into  the  Jay  family,  it  being  a  part  of  what  was  formerly  Cortlandt 
Manor. 

The  libraiy  occupies  one  of  the  ^^*ings  of  the  mansion,  which  were  addi'd 
by  the  Chief  Justice  when  he  retired  fi'om  public  life  in  1801,  having  served 
his  ccmntry  faithfully  in  every  department  of  legislative,  diplomatic,  and  judi- 
cial ti-ust,  and  been  twice  Governor  of  his  own  State.  He  resided  here  in  tlie 
enjoyment  of  his  family,  his  books,  and  his  friends,  for  a  full  ([uarter  of  a  cen- 
tiuy.  It  Wivs  then  a  two  days'  Journey  to  the  cit)',  and  a  mail-coach  visited  the 
retreat  not  oftener  than  once  a  week.  But  the  man  who  had  conducted  to  a 
successful  conclusion  the  definitive  treaty  of  peace  with  Englaiul,  and  tlien  \  ir- 
tually  filled  the  office  of  prime  minister  to  a  new  nation,  regulating  the  whole 
foreign  correspondence  of  a  government  which  wi\.s  experimenting  upon  its 
first  effort  to  stand  alone — the  proposal  of  plans  and  treaties,  and  instiiictions 
to  ministers  abroa<l — and  afterward  worn  the  ermine  of  the  chief  judicial  ro1)e, 
was  not  likely  to  be  forgotten  by  a  grateful  people.  The  walls  of  "  Bedford 
House"  echoed  from  time  to  time  to  the  voices  of  his  distiiiguislied  associates, 
and  notable  Euro))eans  sought  him,  as  a  species  of  homage  to  pul)lic  virtue. 
The  library  is  some  twenty-iive  feet  S([uare,  with  windows  on  three  sides.  One 
division  contains  the  favorite  authois  of  the  Chief  Justice,  weighty  folios  of 
Grotius,  Pufl'endorf,  Vattel,  and  other  masters  of  the  science  of  international 
law,  stanilard  theological  and  miscellaneous  works,  and  the  cLi-ssic  authors  of 
antiquity.     Some  of  the  curious   heirlooms  in  the  way  of  furniture  deserve 


LATER    PERIOD.  109 

mention,  particularly  four  stiff  antique  chairs,  which  came  from  the  old  Federal 
Hall,  in  Wall  Street,  Avhere  Washington  was  inaugurated  the  first  President  of 
the  United  States.  The  floor  is  nearly  covered  mth  a  superl)  India  rug,  with 
all  its  artistic  irregularities ;  the  same  table  is  in  use,  by  the  present  Mr.  Jay, 
which  his  grandfather,  whose  name  he  bears  so  honorably,  placed  in  this  I'oom ; 
and  over  the  mantel  may  be  seen  Huntington's  famous  "  Republican  Court." 

Creeping  over  this  side  of  the  house  is  a  wistaria,  filled  with  a  profusion 
of  blossoms,  and  honeysuckle  climbers  adorn  the  pillars  of  the  wide  veranda, 
while  rose-bushes  peep  over  the  railing.  Upon  the  wooded  height  in  the  rear 
is  a  pretty  school-  or  summer-house  of  stone,  which  the  Chief  Justice  built  for 
his  children.  The  barns,  carriage-houses,  and  the  farmhouse  of  the  tenant  who 
has  the  supervision  of  the  property,  are  off  a  little  distance — beyond  shrubbery, 
and  a  clump  of  locust-trees — to  the  northeast,  upon  the  outskirts  of  a  fine 
garden. 

"  Morrisania,"  the  seat  of  the  Mon-ises,  comprising  originally  about  three 
thousand  acres  of  land  north  of  the  Harlem  River,  was  so  named  by  Captain 
Richard  Morns,  an  English  gentleman  of  fortune  who  came  to  New  York 
about  1661,  and  obtained  a  grant  of  the  property  from  Governor  Stuyvesant, 
^vith  baronial  privileges.  His  son  Lewis  was  the  famous  Chief  Justice  of  New 
York  and  Governor  of  New  Jersey  under  the  Cro-wm,  who  married  Isabella 
Graham,  granddaughter  of  the  Scotch  Earl  of  Montrose.  Their-  two  sons  were 
Le^vis,  wlio  was  a  Judge,  Speaker  of  the  Assembly,  and  Counselor  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, and  Robert  Hunter,  Chief  Justice  of  New  Jersey  and  Governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania under  the  Cro^vn.  Lewis,  the  Judge,  had  four  sons,  all  remarkable 
men  :  Le^^as  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ;  Staats  Long  married  the 
Duchess  of  Gordon,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  and  became  a  full 
general  in  the  British  army;  Richard  was  Chief  Justice  of  New  York  from 
1779  to  1790;  and  Gouverneur,  the  younger  sou,  whose  mother  was  of  the 
scholarly  French  family  of  Gouverneurs,  was  the  distinguished  Morris  of  the 
Revolution,  whose  name  is  so  intimately  associated  with  that  of  Jay,  Hamilton, 
and  the  other  stiikiug  and  individual  men  of  that  epoch. 

The  Morrises  were  of  a  strong  and  gifted  race,  original,  peculiar,  and  fear- 
lessly republican  in  spirit.     Gouverneur  Morris  stands  out  amid  his  contempo- 


no 


THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


•^ 


LATER    PERIOD.  \\\ 

raries,  broad,  generous,  gay,  mtty,  ^vitll  botli  popular  and  commanding  talents — 
a  man  whom  men  respected  and  whom  women  admii'ed.  He  went  through  life 
eating  the  sunny  side  of  the  peach,  but  not  throwing  away  the  stone^  a  mixture 
of  self-indulgence  and  self-control,  of  warm  blood  and  of  cool  brain,  dashing, 
enterprising,  aristocratic,  and  always  in  positions  of  trust. 

In  all  generations  the  Mon-ises  have  been  men  of  wealth,  and  have  erected 
many  mansions.  The  one  now  designated  as  "  Old  Morrisania  "  was  built  by 
Gouverueui'  Morris  in  1800,  shortly  after  his  return  fi'om  France.  The  design 
was  from  a  French  chateau.  It  is  situated  on  the  Harlem  River  just  where  it 
Joins  the  East  River,  and  is  nearly  opposite  the  vexed  waters  of  Hell  Gate, 
although  islands  intervene.  It  stands  to-day  with  some  of  the  apartments  as 
Morris  left  them,  and  with  much  of  the  old  furniture  still  in  use  which  graced 
his  rooms  in  France.  It  is  one  of  the  few  historical  houses  of  our  country  which 
have  been  continuously  in  the  hands  of  descendants  of  the  original  family. 

With  great  natural  skill  in  argument  and  aptitude  for  the  practice  of  law, 
Gouverneur  Morris  began  early  to  exhibit  his  genius,  eloquence,  and  versatility. 
His  fii'st  essay  in  college  was  a  treatise  on  "  Wit  and  Beauty."  Ere  he  had 
reached  his  eighteenth  year  he  was  writing  upon  political  subjects  with  much 
force  and  elegance  for  one  so  young.  A  pamphlet  deprecating  the  evils  of 
paper  currency  as  a  mischievous  pretense  for  putting  off  the  day  of  payment, 
which  he  produced  about  that  time,  would  not  }>e  inappropriate  in  this  en- 
lightened age.  Three  months  before  he  was  twenty  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  His  aristocratic  family  connection,  his  good  looks,  his  extraordinary  and 
precocious  talents,  had  all  been  fighting  his  battle  for  him,  and  he  knew  that 
he  could  step  into  a  large  practice  at  once,  but  his  active  sjiirit  demanded  a 
^\'ider  sphere.  Perhaps  he  thought,  ^vith  Valentine,  that  "  home-staying  youths 
have  ever  homely  wits."  He  longed  to  go  to  England,  to  form  his  mind  and 
manners  on  some  worthy  model.  "  Nothing  is  so  dangerous,"  says  this  wse, 
witty,  flattered  boy — "nothing  is  so  dangerous  as  that  vain  self-sufficiency 
which  arises  from  comparing  ourselves  with  companions  who  are  inferior  to  lis." 
A  boy  of  twenty  who  kncAV  enough  to  say  that  was  beyond  being  hurt  by  the 
fact  itself.  But  his  mother,  his  friends,  and  his  small  fortune,  kept  him  at  home 
for  a  few  years.  He  went  into  his  profession  industriously,  and  worked  man- 
fully. 


11:2 


THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


Fiirtunatfl\  lie  rciiiaiiiftl  in  tliis  nmiitiy,  ami  was  a  iiiciiilici'  uf  tlic  tii'st 
Provincial  (Oii^nvss  df  New  York  in  1775,  serving  on  the  various  committees 
with  such  well-balanced  judgment  a.s  to  command  the  res})ect  of  men  twice  his 
age  and  experience.  He  rendered  most  valuable  assistance  in  the  building  of 
the  curious  fabric,  so  strong  and  so  weak,  so  vague  and  so  peculiar,  which  we 
call  the  American  Republic,  and  which  has  been,  in  spite  of  its  mistakes,  so 


marvelously  successful.  He  liecame  a  w-avux  fiiciid  of  Washington,  a  vigorous 
member  of  Congress,  chairman  of  three  committees  for  carrying  on  the  war — the 
ConunissaryX  Quartermaster's,  and  Medical  Department — and  in  a  multiplicity 
of  ways  displayed  an  energy  that  was  simply  gigantic.  He  wrote  essays  on  all 
subjects,  pai-ticulai'ly  the  revenue  and  the  currency,  practiced  law  for  his  sup- 
])oi-t  while  in  Coni^i-ess,  and  was  concerned  in  almost  every  patriotic  endeavor 
of  the  period — all  this  before  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 


LATER    PERIOD. 


113 


Then  came  an  accident  Avhich  would  have  crushed  a  less  indomitable  mil. 
He  was  thrown  from  a  carriage  in  Philadelphia  and  broke  his  leg.  His  physi- 
cians addsed  immediate  amputation.  It  was  said  later  that  this  was  a  proof 
of  unskillful  management  and  rashness  of  decision.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he  bore 
it  A\ith  courage,  elasticity,  and  cheeifulness.  A  clergyman  called  on  him  to 
ad\'ise  patience,  telling  him  that  perhaps  this  sad  event  might  improve  his  char- 
acter, and  diminish  the  inducements  to  lead  a  gay  life  which  othenvise  sur- 
rounded him.  "  My  good  sir,"  said  Mr.  Monis,  "  you  argue  the  matter  so 
handsomely  that  I  am  almost  induced  to  part  with  my  other  leg."  A  plain 
wooden  leg  Avas  fitted  to  the  stump,  and  carried  him  through  the  rest  of  his 
life.  He  was  tall  and  personable,  and  proud  of  his  remaining  leg,  which  was 
veiy  handsome. 

He  A-isited  Morrisania  after  the  peace,  for  the  first  time  in  seven  years.  In 
wi-iting  to  his  uncle  he  speaks  of  drinking  his  health  "  in  a  bottle  of  Cape  wine 
which  has  stood  on  the  shelf  for  twenty  years."  The  Morrisania  estate  had 
claims  for  depredations  committed  by  the  British  army  diu-ing  the  war,  which 
were  afterward  paid  to  the  amount  of  eight  thousand  dollars. 

He  sailed  for  Europe  in  1788,  and,  reaching  Paris  and  visiting  Lafayette, 
records  in  his  diaiy  that  one  of  the  famous  nobleman's  little  daughters  sang  for 
him,  after  dinner,  a  song  of  his  own  composition.  A  popular  witer  asks, 
"  When  did  this  busy  young  American  statesman  find  time  to  write  songs  ? " 

The  diary  of  his  life  in  Paris  reads  like  an  historical  romance.  He  was 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  States-General  at  Versailles,  which  has  been 
called  "  the  first  day  of  the  French  Revolution,"  and  writes,  under  date  of 
May  4,  1789  : 

"  I  can  not  help  feeling  the  mortification  which  the  poor  Queen  meets  with, 
for  I  see  only  the  woman,  and  it  seems  unmanly  to  treat  a  woman  with  unMnd- 
ness.  Madame  de  Chastellux  teUs  me  a  sprightly  reply  of  Madame  Adelaide, 
the  King's  aunt,  Avho,  when  the  Queen,  in  a  fit  of  resentment,  speaking  of  this 
nation,  said,  '  Ces  iudignes  Frangais  ! '  exclaimed,  '  Dites  indigiws,  madame.' 
Poor  Marie  Antoinette  !  " 

He  was  appointed  Minister  from  the  United  States  to  the  Court  of  France 
in  1792,  thus  adding  ambassadorial  honors  to  those  which  he  had  won  for  him- 
self. 


114 


THE   HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 


LATER  PERIOD.  115 

It  is  really  curious,  iu  looking  over  tlie  full  records  of  this  illustrious  man,  to 
observe  the  aid,  pecuniary  and  otherwdse,  which  he  extended  to  distinguished 
persons.  He  lent  money  to  Madame  de  Lafayette,  to  Louis  Philippe,  to  the 
Duchess  of  Orleans,  and  to  hundreds  of  others  less  distinguished.  Among 
his  papers  are  found  to-day  letters  from  many  titled  personages  to  whom 
he  extended  his  liberal  hand.  Of  his  efforts  for  the  escape  of  the  King 
and  Queen,  and  his  noble  care  of  the  tnists  committed  to  him  by  them,  histoiy 
is  full. 

In  the  libraiy  of  his  Morrisania  home  (the  floor  of  which  is  parquet  im- 
ported from  France,  as  indeed  are  all  the  floors  of  the  mansion)  may  be  seen 
the  desk  at  which  he  Avrote  his  letters  and  dispatches  during  the  Reign  of  Ter- 
ror ;  also  the  secret  di-awer  where  he  deposited  the  seven  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  thousand  livres  which  the  poor  weak  King  sent  him  to  aid  in  the  Monciel 
scheme  for  the  project  of  removing  the  royal  family  from  Paris — money  which 
did  no  good  to  the  depositors,  and  which  must  have  been  an  inconvenient 
charge  to  the  Minister.  We  find  him  later  paying  back  the  money  left  in  his 
hands  to  the  unhappy  Duchess  d'Angouleme,  the  daughter  of  Louis  XVI. — she 
who  bore  in  her  sad  face  until  death  the  marks  of  indelible  grief.  This  fine 
old  desk  is  of  mahogany,  dark  with  age,  and  is  brass-bound.  It  is  said  to  have 
been  a  present  to  JMr.  Morris  from  some  of  the  royal  family  whom  he  so  well 
served.  There  are  three  or  four  other  pieces  of  furniture  of  the  same  date  and 
history.  The  old  desk  leads  now  a  luxurious  and  tranquil  existence  in  the 
midst  of  quiet  domestic  l)liss,  serving  the  lady  of  the  house,  silently,  as  she 
writes  her  gracefid  notes  of  invitation  or  of  friendship,  as  it  did  her  gi'andfa- 
ther  when  he  -wi'ote  letters  of  encouragement  and  helpful  s}nnpathy  to  a  queen, 
besought  Austria  to  relieve  Lafayette  from  the  horrors  of  Olmiitz,  defended 
himself  against  the  intrigues  of  Tom  Paine,  corresponded  with  the  Bishop 
d'Autun,  Madame  de  Stael,  or  the  Duchess  of  Orleans,  wrote  those  rose-colored 
epistles,  no  doubt,  which  belong  to  one  side  of  the  character  of  this  pleasui'e- 
loving,  gallant,  gay  man,  Avho  followed  out  Luther's  motto  amid  his  full  career 
of  usefulness;  and  where  he  recorded  the  sanguinary  horrors  of  the  French 
Revolution,  until  even  his  beloved  journal  had  to  be  given  up ;  and  he  wrote 
at  this  same  desk  these  words :  "  The  situation  of  things  is  such  that,  to  con- 
tinue this  joiu'ual  would  compromise  many  people,  unless  I  go  on  as  I  have 


110  Tin-:  HOMES  of  .uf/siurA. 

(lone  since  tlie  end  of  Autrust,  in  whicli  case  it  must  l)e  insijiid  ami  useless.  I 
prefei',  therefore,  tlie  more  simple  measure  of  i)utting  an  enil  to  it." 

The  library  is  wainscoted  and  ceiled  with  Dutch  cheriy  panels,  also  im- 
ported, and  was  in  the  early  days  hung  \\  ith  white-and-gold  tapestry,  like 
Marie  Antoinette's  boudoir  at  Versailles — tapestry  which  has  long  ago  suc- 
cumbed to  "  Chi'onos'  ii'on  tooth."  A  deep  bay-window  coiinuands  the  sunset, 
and  modern  taste  has  hung  a  Chinese  lantern  in  the  window,  indicative  of  that 
march  toward  the  East  which  humanity  is  always  making.  This  lantern,  with 
the  prehistoric  tb-agou,  and  the  curious  reversed  ]ierspective  of  the  Chinese,  the 
circled  emblem  of  the  serpent,  with  his  tail  in  liis  inouth — all  is  suggestive  of 
philosophical  reflection  ;  it  seems  to  say,  "  So  do  we  go  back  whence  we  came, 
nor  pause  except  for  a  moment  to  think  over  even  the  French  Revolution,  Itut 
as  one  of  the  hideous  and  bloody  tints  which  the  monster  shows  as  he  slowly 
creeps  away." 

The  reception-room,  twenty-two  by  thii'ty,  and  fourteen  feet  high,  is  also 
a  paneled  room,  with  mirroi's  built  into  the  wall  in  true  French  style.  Here 
stands  a  gilt  sofa  which  might  have  come  from  Versailles — rumor  has  it  that 
it  was  given  by  Marie  Antoinette  to  j\Ir.  ]\Iorris ;  chairs  of  the  same  set  accom- 
pany it.  It  is  recovered  Avith  a  modern  tapestry,  Avhich  i-ecords  the  taste, 
although  it  can  not  equal  the  magnificence  of  Avhite  silk,  end.)roidered  in  gold, 
which  originally  covered  it.  The  modern  Eastlake  judicious  restoi'ations  have 
kept  much  that  was  good  in  this  fine  old  room;  have  respected  tlu-  iiicnunies 
of  1789;  but  have  added  the  freshness  and  comfort  of  to-day.  Moirisania  is 
very  fortunate  in  its  present  ownership ;  the  furniture,  and  tapestries,  and 
bronzes,  and  china,  do  not  miss  the  faiiy  fingers  of  a  queen  and  her  coui't,  nor 
decay  in  uncongenial  solitudes.  These  menhIeK  \^a.\  their  part  as  well  in  tlic 
republican  simplicity  of  our  new  land  as  their  o\™er  once  ]»layed  his  in  1  In- 
fastidious  circles  of  an  hereditaiy  nobility.  Like  him,  they  are  sincere — all  that 
they  ]iretend  to  be. 

Of  his  house  at  Sainport  in  France,  where  he  lived  during  his  and)assa- 
dorship,  and  wliitlier  he  liad  retired  to  escape  tlie  horrors  of  the  Revolution 
and  the  disordei-s  of  the  capital,  Morris  writes  this  interesting  description : 
"  My  prospect  is  rural,  not  extensive.  At  a  mile  and  a  half  on  the  southwest  are 
the  ruins  of  baths  whicli  once  bclonii-i'd  to  llic  fair  (iabiiclle,  favorite  mistress 


LATER    PERIOD. 


117 


118  I'll'    ll'>^tI-^>^    OF   AM  Kill  I' A. 

of  Henry  IV.,  and  at  half  of  that  distanc-c,  in  thr  opposite  diivctiDn,  stands  on 
a  high  phun  the  raagniticent  pavilion  bnilt  l>y  Bonret,  who  is  here  called  an 
honime  de  fiminve.  He  expended  on  that  building  and  its  gaidens  about  half  a 
million  sterling,  and,  after  squandering  in  the  whole  about  two  millions  ster- 
ling, he  put  himself  to  death  because  he  had  nothing  to  live  on.  I  think  you 
A\'ill  acknowledge  that  the  objects  just  mentioned  are  well  calculated  to  show 
the  vanity  of  human  pui"suits  and  possessions." 

Mon-is  made  no  such  mistake  at  JMorrisaiiia ;  his  expenditures  were  judi- 
cious, A\itliin  the  means  of  a  now  ample  fortune  gained  by  his  own  intelligence 
and  industry.  His  biographer  says :  "  Nature  had  fully  accomplished  her  part 
in  affording  him  one  of  the  finest  sites  in  the  world,  embracing  a  beautiful  va- 
riety of  grounds,  a  prospect  of  intermingled  islands  and  Nxaters,  and  in  the 
distance  the  changing  tints  of  Long  Island  Sound.  The  plan  of  his  house 
coufonned  to  a  French  model,  and,  though  spacious  and  well  contrived,  A\as 
suited  rather  for  convenience  and  perhaps  splendor  Avithin  than  for  a  show 
of  architectural  magnificence  without."  The  house  was  afterward  improved 
])y  Morris's  son,  who  succeeded  him,  and  its  present  appearance  is  much  more 
picturesque  than  it  was  when  Morris  left  it ;  according  to  a  print  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family,  it  then  had  a  square  and  rather  barren  look. 

Mon-is  AVTote  to  Madame  de  Stael,  who  pi-oposed  A-isiting  this  countiy  :  "  As 
soon  as  you  arrive  you  \^•^S\.  come  to  Morrisania,  partake  what  our  dairy  affords, 
and  refi-esh  yoiu-self.  In  the  beginning  of  July  you  shall  set  out  to  \isit  jour 
lands  and  the  interior  couutiy,  and  return  l)y  the  middle  of  September  to  re- 
pose after  your  fatigues,  to  gather  peaches,  take  Malks,  make  ^-erses,  romances ; 
in  a  word,  to  do  what  you  phased 

That  last  phrase  shows  that  ^lorris  was  a  model  host ;  indeed,  contempora- 
neous history  speaks  of  the  boundless  and  elegant  hospitality  of  this  house,  a 
character  which  it  has  never  lost  for  an  hour  since.  But,  accepting  a  position 
as  Senator  of  New  York,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  his  delightful  American- 
French  chateau  to  reside  for  a  time  in  Washmgton. 

He  writes  the  following  humorous  accounts  of  life  in  our  new  capital  in 
1800  to  his  illustrious  friend  the  Princess  de  la  Tom-  ami  Taxis:  "  AVe  want 
nothinfj  here  but  houses,  cellars,  kitchens,  well-informed  men.  amial)le  women, 
and  otli.T  little   trifles  of  this   kind,  to  make  our  city  pcrlVct,  for  we  can  walk 


LATER    PERIOD.  119 

tere  as  if  in  tlie  fields  and  woods,  and,  considering  the  liard  frost,  the  air  of  the 
city  is  very  piu'e.  I  enjoy  more  of  it  than  anybody  else,  for  my  room  is  filled 
with  smoke  whenever  the  door  is  shut.  If,  then,  you  are  desirous  of  coming  to 
live  at  Washington,  in  order  to  confirm  you  in  so  fine  a  project,  I  hasten  to  as- 
sure you  that  freestone  is  very  abundant  here,  that  excellent  bricks  can  be 
bui'ned  here,  that  there  is  no  want  of  sites  for  magnificent  hotels  ;  that  contem- 
plated canals  can  bring  a  vast  commerce  to  this  place,  that  the  wealth  which  is 
the  natural  consequence  must  attract  the  fine  arts  hither ;  in  short,  that  it  is  the 
very  best  city  in  the  world  for  a.  future  residence.  As,  however,  I  am  not  one 
of  those  good  people  whom  we  call  posterity,  I  should  like  very  well  to  remove 
to  old  Ratisbon,  because  I  should  then  have  the  happiness  of  seeing  you,  and 
of  repeating  to  you  with  my  o^vu  lips  the  assurances  of  my  respect  and  attach- 
ment." 

At  Morrisania  were  received  the  French  princes  Louis  Philippe  and  his 
brothers,  whom  the  generous-hearted  Minister  had  aided  with  loans  from  his 
piivate  funds.  Eveiy  distinguished  stranger  who  came  to  America  was  re- 
ceived at  Morrisania.  Morris  "RTites  to  Madame  de  Damas  in  1809:  "I  can 
walk  three  leagues  if  the  weather  is  fine  and  the  road  not  rough.  My  employ- 
ment is  to  labor  for  myself  a  little,  for  others  more ;  to  receive  much  company, 
and  forget  half  those  who  come.  I  think  of  public  afifairs  a  little,  read  a  little, 
play  a  little,  and  sleep  a  great  deal.  With  good  aii",  a  good  cook,  fine  water 
and  wine,  a  good  constitution,  and  a  clear  conscience,  I  descend  gradually  to- 
ward the  gi'ave,  full  of  gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  all  good." 

"  A  good  cook  "  was  ever  a  necessity  with  this  man,  who  knew  how  to  live  ; 
and  we  see  in  his  dining-room  at  Monisania  full  preparations  for  the  great  event 
of  each  day — dinner.  This  room  is  of  singular  shape — a  half  octagon,  paneled, 
like  the  rest  of  the  house,  in  dark  wood.  It  commands  a  beautiful  prospect  of 
river  and  sound.  It  is  hung  with  family  portraits,  and  possesses  one  of  those 
records  of  his  early  Revolutionaiy  experience  in  both  countries — a  dumb  toaiter, 
such  as  was  placed  near  each  guest,  that  the  servants  should  not  be  admitted  to 
overhear  the  conversation.  At  the  age  of  sixty-four  Mr.  Morris  married  a  lady 
with  the  beautiful  name  of  Annie  Carey  Randolph,  who  became  the  mother  of 
his  only  son.  In  1816  he  died  calmly,  cheerfully,  bravely,  as  he  had  lived.  His 
remains  were  interred  on  his  own  estate  at  Morrisania. 


120  TlIK   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

The  iiiaiisioii  :it  Moiiisaiiia  to-day  stands  amid  fine  old  trees;  a  circle  of 
elms  of  great  beauty  and  lieiirlit  forms  an  attractive  group  from  the  front  en- 
trance. Curious,  gnarled,  old  cherry-trees  produce  excellent  subjects  for  the 
pencil  of  the  artist ;  a  perfect  lawn,  green  until  snow  covers  it,  suiiounds  the 
house.  Tasteful  verandas  break  agreeably  the  monotony  of  its  gray,  time-hon- 
ored walls.  The  roof  is  improved  l)y  a  turret  which  has  been  added  since  the 
death  nf  ."\li-.  ^lorris,  but  it  still  has  its  French  look  unimpaired. 

Upon  an  eminence  some  distance  inland  fiom  the  Sound,  siuTouuded  by 
handsomely  shaded  gi-ounds,  and  overlooking  Fleetwood  trotting-park,  stands 
the  residence  of  William  H.  Morris,  built  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  by 
the  late  James  IMon-is,  the  father  of  the  present  propiietor.  The  i)roperty  was 
a  poition  of  the  Monisania  estate  wliich  belonged  to  Lewis,  the  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence — elder  brother  of  Gouveraeiu'.  James  was  his 
foiu-th  son,  known  in  AN'estchester  as  "  SheiifF  Moms,"  from  having  held  that 
office  about  1820  ;  he  manied  Helen  Van  Cortlandt,  the  youngest  of  the  two 
daughters  and  only  children  of  Augustus  Van  Cortlandt  of  Cortlandt  House, 
Lower  Yonkers,  who  was  descended  through  Jacobus  Van  Cortlandt  and  Eve 
Philipse  from  the  \im  Cortlandts  and  Philipses  of  old  feudal  New  York.  Au- 
gustus Van  Cortlandt  was  thefii-st  cousin  of  Chief  Justice  John  Jay  (his  mother 
was  Frances,  the  sister  of  Peter  Jay),  and  when  the  Kevolution  broke  out  was 
Clerk  of  tliecityof  New  York  ;  remaining  loyal  to  the  cro\N-n,  he  was  obliged  to 
make  sudden  choice  between  ignominious  flight  or  prison  fare  ;  and,  until  he 
could  reach  the  British  army  on  Staten  Island,  was  concealed  for  a  consider- 
able time,  Avnites  Judge  Thomas  Jones,  in  the  cow-house  of  a  Dutch  fanner  at 
Bedford,  Long  Island,  the  conscientious  man  (LefFerts)  going  backward  when 
he  can-ied  him  his  meals,  that  in  ca.se  of  necessity  he  might  safely  swear  that 
he  had  not  seen  him. 

When  James  Morris  was  about  to  build  this  gi'eat,  square,  elegant  mansion, 
he  submitted  the  plan  of  it  to  Peter  Jay  ^Munro,  the  celel)rated  lawyer,  who 
was  a  near  relative  of  Mrs.  Morris,  asking  him  to  examine  it  cai-efully  and  give 
his  ojiinioii.  Muuro  noticed  that  IMon-is  had  left  no  place  for  staii-s  to  the  sec- 
ond stoiT  and  called  his  attention  to  the  fact.  "By  G — !  I  never  thought  of 
that,"  was  his  (|uick  rejoinder.     It  was  an  instance  of  the  vein  of  whimsicality 


LATER    PERIOD. 


121 


122  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

wliicli  ciiijis  (Hit  orcasioiially  in  tlie  Morrises  even  to  tliis  day.  It  is  supei-tluous 
to  ailil  that  tlir  I  louse  was  graciously  accorded  the  regulation  staii'case.  It  was 
finished  in  the  most  ai)]>roved  manner,  and  lias  ever  l)een  one  of  the  sul)staiitial 
homes  of  affluence  and  luxurious  comfort  which  abound  plentifully  within  easy 
distance  of  the  metrojxilis. 

While  (Toiivciiicur  Mori'is  was  Imilding  his  home  in  Morrisania,  Alexander 
Hamilton  was  jilanning  and  projecting  a  country  seat  on  the  mijiei-  ]>ait  of 
Manhattan  Island,  which  he  called  "  The  (xrange,"  from  the  ancestral  seat  of 
his  gi'andfather  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland.  The  house  is  situated  upon  an  elevation 
of  nearly  two  Imndied  feet  above  and  aliout  half  way  between  the  Hudson 
and  Harlem  Kivers,  on  what  is  now  known  as  Washington  Heights.  It  com- 
mands, through  vistas,  delightful  views  of  Harlem  River  and  Plains,  East  l\iver. 
Long  Lslaiid,  and  the  fertile  fields  of  Morrisania.  It  is  just  within  the  outer 
lines  of  the  iiitrenchments  thrown  up  by  the  Americans  in  1770.  At  the  time 
of  its  erection  it  was  completely  in  the  coinitry,  some  eight  miles  north  from 
the  city  limits. 

Hamilton  c()ni])leted  and  removed  his  family  to  this  mansion  in  1802.  It 
stands  now,  in  an  ai'chitectui'al  })oint  of  view,  precisely  as  he  left  it  on  that 
fatal  nioi-niiig  when  he  went  to  Weehawken  to  meet  Aaron  Bun-,  with  the  ex- 
cejjtion  of  the  wear  of  Time's  bleak  winds  for  three  fourths  of  a  century.  It 
is  a  s(|uare  wooden  stnicture  of  two  stories,  with  large,  roomy  basement,  oi-na- 
mental  balustrades,  and  immense  chimney-stacks.  The  timber  foi'  the  house  is 
said  to  have  been  a  present  from  Mrs.  Hamilton's  fathei',  General  Philip  Schuy- 
ler, whose  Albany  home  has  been  illusti-ated  on  a  fonner  ])age.  It  is  con- 
sti'ucted  in  a  st\le  l)efitting  the  character  of  the  illustrious  man  who  was  to 
dwell  under  its  bi-oad  I'oof,  its  I'ooms  s})acious  and  numerous,  and  its  workman- 
shi])  solid  and  su1>stantial.  The  doors  of  the  drawing-i-ooms  were  mirroi-s  ;  and 
until  receiitlv  a  (iiiaint,  old-fashioned,  round  diniiig-table,  wliich  was  made  for 
the  dinino'-rooni  by  onler  of  Ilaiiiilton,  has  remained  as  one  of  the  lixtiires  of 
the  house. 

AMiile  living  here  Hamilton  generally  drove  to  and  fidin  the  city  in  a 
two-wheeled  carriage  with  a  single  horse.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife, 
five  sons,  two  slaughters,  and  a  young  lady,  the  orphan  daughter  of  an  officer 


LATER   PERIOD. 


123 


who  was  killed  in  the  Eevolutionary  war ;  this  young  lady  was  educated  and 
treated  in  all  respects  as  his  own  daughter.  He  took  great  pride  in  his  home, 
and  devoted  much  time  to  its  embellishment.     He  attended  personally  to  the 


*  The    Grange,"     Residence    of    Alexander    Hamilton. 


arrangement  of  the  grounds,   the  planting  of  flowers,   of  shrubbery,   and  of 
trees. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  tlie  place  is  a  grove  of  thirteen 


124 


THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


Thiileeii    "  U 


majestic  ijiiin  ■  trees 
which  General  Ham- 
ilton planted  with 
his  own  hand  on  the 
\a.\va  a  few  rods  from 
the  mansion,  about 
a  year  before  his 
death.  These  trees 
were  to  symbolize 
the  tliirteen  oriirinal 
States  of  the  Union, 
and  were  named  af- 
ter them  resi)ectively. 
"The  Grange" 
was  the  residence 
of  Hamilton's  family 
I'di-  some  years  after 
his  death,  bnt  it  fi- 
nally })assed  into  oth- 
er luiiids.  William 
G.  AVard  l)ecame  its 
(mnier  in  1845,  and 
simc  his  death  it  has 
liccii  ill  the  posses- 
sion (if  his  heii-s.  It 
has  stood  vacant,  of- 
ten for  many  seasons 
in  succession,  and  in 
the  mean  time  the 
city  has  been  creep- 
ing np  and  around 
it,  and  the  whole 
f;u'c  (.f  ^Manhattan 
Island    cliaULTcd. 


LATER    PERIOD.  125 

And  yet  one  can  hardly  contemplate  this  touching  relic  of  the  soldier,  states- 
man, and  Jurist — whose  career  is  perhaps  better  known  to  the  people  of  to- 
day than  that  of  any  other  man  save  Washington,  and  whose  fame  is  identified 
with  the  beginnings  of  our  republic — without  seeing,  through  the  mind's  eye, 
the  slight,  erect  figm-e,  with  well-poised  head,  powdered  hair  thrown  back  from 
a  fine  forehead  and  collected  in  a  club  behind,  fair  complexion  and  flushed 
cheeks,  his  singularly  expressive  features  sometimes  grav^e  and  thoughtful,  and 
again  lighted  -with  intelligence  and  sweetness.  His  genius  for  the  solution  of 
financial  problems  was  exceptional ;  and  there  were  point  and  originality  in  his 
views,  and  electi-icity  in  his  movements.  He  belongs  to  the  histoiy,  the  science, 
and  the  art  of  government,  and  his  position  is  established  by  the  universal  ver- 
dict of  mankind.  He  came  to  America  in  the  crisis  of  our  affairs,  bringing 
from  the  Antilles  the  Scotch  strength  of  his  father  and  the  French  vivacity  of 
his  mother,  the  blood  and  brain  of  two  mighty  races ;  and,  when  our  Constitu- 
tion went  into  effect,  was  called  to  the  chief  control  of  the  Treasury,  his  prac- 
tical management  establishing  the  national  credit.  As  an  individual  he  prob- 
ably inspired  warmer  attachments  among  his  fiiends  and  more  bitter  hatred 
in  his  foes  than  any  other  man  in  American  history. 

The  home  of  the  Adamses,  father,  son,  and  grandson — John  Adams  and 
John  Quincy  Adams,  the  two  Presidents  of  the  nation,  and  Charles  Francis 
Adams,  who  occupies  the  mansion  at  the  present  ^vl'iting  as  a  simimer  residence 

embodies  several  distinct  periods.     It  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Adams 

family  immediately  after  the  Revolution.  It  was  built  much  earlier  by  a  rich 
Eno-lish  planter  who  had  made  a  fortune  in  Jamaica,  but  the  changes  and  addi- 
tions have  been  so  many  and  various  that  it  would  be  somewhat  difticult  to 
point  out  the  original  structure. 

John  Adams  was  at  the  Court  of  St.  James  as  the  first  Minister  fi-om  the 
new  Government  of  the  United  States  when  his  agent  purchased  this  house. 
Returning  fi"om  his  residence  abroad  he  took  up  his  abode  within  its  walls,  sub- 
jecting it  to  many  alterations  in  accordance  with  his  cultivated  taste.  From 
here  he  went  to  take  his  place,  first  as  Vice-President,  then  as  President,  of  the 
Union.  And  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  this  dwelling  the  great  statesman,  who 
possessed  the  grand  historical  sense  which  sees  civilization  in  its  continuity  as 


126  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

well  as  the  combination  of  its  laws  and  forces,  passed  away  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two,  just  fifty  years  to  a  day  after  he  had  signed  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, and  forty-three  yeai-s  after  he  had  affixed  his  signature  to  the  defini- 
tive treaty  of  peace  with  England. 

This  apartment  is  preserved  in  the  same  condition  in  wliicli  it  w;a.s  left  l)y 
him.  The  l)edstead  is  an  old-time,  massive,  four-post  article  of  iiirnitinc,  with 
cunously  carved  legs,  an  importation  from  Holland. 

The  mansion  descended  naturally  to  his  son  John  Quincy  Adams,  who  made 
further  additions  and  improvements.  Among  the  many  portraits  which  adorn 
the  rooms  is  one  of  this  second  President  Adams,  l)y  Copley,  jiainted  in  Eng- 
land when  the  subject  was  a  young  man  of  twenty.  The  cok>ring  is  superb. 
There  is  another  portrait  of  the  same,  painted  by  Stuart,  at  a  later  <late,  as 
also  the  well-known  Stuart  portraits  of  the  first  President  Adams  and  his  wife 
Abigail  Adams,  and  many  others  of  exceptional  mei'it. 

Thei'e  is  a  portrait  here  of  Washington  in  inilitary  garb,  l)y  Edward  Sav- 
age, a  painter  little  known  in  this  country.  Sanmel  A.  Drake  writes  of  the 
picture,  "it  possesses  but  little  merit  beyond  that  of  ])eing  an  undouhted  like- 
ness, as  attested  by  John  Adams;  but  the  ai-tist  had  no  genius  for  coloring,  nor 
for  those  touches  that  put  life  into  a  face.  Another  portrait,  oi  Lady  "Washing- 
ton, by  the  same  hand,  with  ahead-dress  'fearfully  and  wonderfully  made,' 
hangs  beside  that  of  the  General.  Savage  was  in  this  country  about  17i»l.  He 
also  painted  (ieneral  Knox,  and  engraved  copies  of  this  work  on  copperplate." 

One  of  the  apartments  of  the  house  is  wainscoted  from  floor  to  ceiling 
\vith  nuihogany  Avliich  hits  aged  into  a  deep  rich  color  harmonizing  with  the 
pictured  tiles,  fire-irons,  and  anti(]uated  furniture.  The  great,  cheerful,  deeji 
fireplaces  are  suggestive  of  bygones;  nearly  all  the  famous  men  identifii'il  with 
the  early  life  of  our  nation  must  have  discussed  events  within  the  ciiclc  of 
their  light  and  hos[)itable  warmth. 

.I(.]iii  (Juin<  y  Adams  died,  like  Pitt,  in  harness.  He  was  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinaiy  physical  and  intellectual  vigor.  He  was  an  early  riser,  taking  long 
walks  before  other  i)eople  were  astir.  His  studies  for  the  day  were  usually 
finished  before  he  took  his  breakfast.  He  MTote  and  talked  admirably.  AN'hen 
he  was  Minister  at  Berlin  he  ^\Tote  the  "  Letters  on  Silesia,"  published  in  Lon- 
don in  1804,  from  which  Carl}le  quotes  in  his  "  Frederick."     The  day  before 


LATER   PERIOD. 


127 


liis  last  illness  he  composed  a  piece  of  poetry  to  a  young  lady  of  Springfield. 
His  letters  to  his  sister  were  models  in  beauty  of  thought  and  expression ;  and 
his  conversation  was  fascinating  and  instructive  to  a  degree  which  few  men 
have  equaled.  Born  in  the  day  of  colonial  vassalage,  he  lived  to  see  his 
countiy  strong  and  prosperous. 


128  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

When  stricken  down  on  the  Hotn-  of  the  House,  he  luul  in  his  hand  the 
memorial  of  M.  Vattemare  relative  to  Iiis  eolleetion.  The  House  was  consid- 
ering: a  joint  resolution  of  thanks  to  General  Twiggs  and  other  officei's  of  our 
ami}-  in  Mexico.  Tlie  members  arose  in  confusion,  and  Mi\  i\dams  was  carried 
into  the  Speaker's  room.  This  was  the  21st  of  Febi-uary.  Tlie  Senate  ad- 
journed, on  motion  of  Mr.  Benton,  svs  soon  as  the  news  of  ^Ir.  Adams's  illness 
I'eaehed  the  cliandx'r.  Mr.  Clay  entered  the  room  and  held  the  d\ing  man's 
hand  a  long  time  without  speaking,  while  the  tears  rolleil  down  liis  rugged 
face.  All  present  were  much  affected.  The  Me.vican  treaty,  l>ut  just  arrived, 
was  forgotten.  On  the  2;5d  Jolni  Quincy  Adams  passed  away.  Daniel  W'el)- 
ster,  then  a  Senator,  wrote  tlie  inscription  for  his  cothu,  and  his  ivmains  were 
laid  with  the  ashes  of  his  ancestoi-s  in  the  old  churchyard  of  Quincy. 

The  annals  of  the  Adams  family  present  some  intei'esting  coincitlences. 
Father,  son,  and  grandson  have  been  Ministei's  to  the  same  court.  Francis 
Dana,  who  was  the  first  envoy  of  the  United  States  to  St.  Petersbui-g,  accom- 
panied the  elder  Adams  to  Paris  as  Secretary  of  Legation  in  177!'.  John 
Quincy  Adams  was  our  Ambassador  to  tlie  same  court  duiiiig  the  invasion  by 
Napoleon.  Charles  Francis  Adams  passed  his  boyhood  with  his  father  at  St. 
Petereburg,  and  was  also  with  him  in  England  from  1815  to  1S17,  and  from 
1861  to  1868  filled  the  position  of  Minister  to  England,  which  his  father  and 
gi'andfather  had  done  before  him. 

The  libraiy  of  the  elder  Adams  was  given  by  him  to  the  town  of  (Quincy, 
thus  founding  the  Adams  Academy.  lie  also  gave  the  lot  on  which  it  stands, 
on  condition  that  the  institution  should  be  erected  on  the  site  of  the  birth])lace 
of  the  two  Quincys  and  John  Hancock. 

A  wing  or  separate  Iniilding  of  stone  has  been  added  to  the  house  1)V 
Charles  Francis  Adams  as  a  library  for  the  rece})tion  of  his  father's  valual)le 
books  and  maiuiscripts.  The  shelves  are  filled  from  floor  to  ceiling  with  j)i'ice- 
less  treasures.  The  busy  pen  of  the  statesman  and  man  of  letters  has  pro- 
duced many  stout  volumes  from  this  storehouse,  which  are  welcome  to  all 
Americans. 

The  house  is  as  deep  as  it  is  long  ;  its  rooms  are  numerous  as  well  as  sjta- 
cious,  and  its  hall  of  entrance  is  wide  and  atti'active.  There  is  an  air  of  sub- 
stantial comfort  about  the  whole  place      It  stands  on  a  gentle  elevation  to  the 


LATER    PERIOD.  I09 

right  of  the  railway-track  approaching  Quincy  from  Boston.  It  is  shaded  by  a 
broad  veranda,  and  surrounded  by  fine  old  oaks  and  elms,  with  a  turfy  lawn 
descending  fi'om  the  rear  of  the  dwelling  by  a  natural  slope  to  a  brook  which 
courses  along  under  the  wdllows  and  down  to  the  sea. 

A  charming  combination  of  the  antique  and  modern  in  domestic  architec- 
ture, and  a  home  which  appeals  dii-ectly  to  the  sense  of  the  beautiful,  is  that  of 
the  late  William  Cullen  Bryant  at  Roslyn,  Long  Island.  It  is  set  within  a 
nook  of  exquisite  loveliness  upon  the  hilly  shore  of  Hempstead  Bay ;  and  the 
mansion,  gardens,  grounds,  and  distant  fields,  all  show  how  perfectly  nature  and 
art  may  be  wedded  in  one  harmonious  whole.  Cedarmere  is  like  the  finished 
and  impressive  poems  of  its  master. 

The  house  is  nearly  a  century  old,  having  been  built  by  a  Quaker  in  1787. 
Mr.  Biyant  purchased  the  property  about  thirty-thi-ee  years  ago,  and  it  has 
since  undergone  great  transformations.  It  is  a  large,  square  structure,  with  the 
old-fashioned  gable-roof,  modern  bay-windows,  attractive  verandas,  and  antique 
balconies.  It  is  so  embowered  -with  handsome,  rare,  and  stately  trees,  and  so 
artistically  ornamented  with  honeysuckle,  codea,  clematis,  and  other  aspiring 
vines,  that  but  a  mere  suggestion  of  its  style  can  be  obtained  from  the  ap- 
proach. 

The  entrance  is  in  the  center,  and  a  broad  hall  lined  with  choice  pictui-es 
extends  quite  to  the  rear  of  the  building,  where  a  quaint,  old-time  door,  cut 
open  in  the  middle,  leads  to  a  smooth,  velvety  lawn,  decorated  mth  mounds  of 
bright-colored  flowers.  The  staircase  is  of  the  pattern  in  vogue  before  the 
Revolution,  and  teems  with  historic  associations. 

The  parlor,  a  large,  restful  apartment,  with  two  graceful  bay-windows  com- 
manding a  long  stretch  of  out-of-door  beauties,  is  upon  the  left,  and  the  dining- 
room  upon  the  right  of  the  entrance.  In  the  former  are  two  ancient  cabinets 
built  deep  into  the  wall,  one  upon  each  side  of  an  antiquarian  fireplace,  with 
tiled  jams,  brass  andirons,  and  massive  hearthstone  ;  they  contain  valuable  curi- 
osities and  interesting  heirlooms,  which  are  treasured  with  scrupulous  care. 
The  furniture  is  so  tastefully  blended  that  no  one  feature  stands  out  promi- 
nently before  the  mind ;  but  the  soft  cushions,  dressed  in  cool  chintz,  the  fine 
paintings  and  engrav-ings,  and  fi-esh-cut  flowers,  declare  the  perfect  embodiment 


130  Till'    IIOMI-^^    "I'   AMKIilCA. 

of  j)ei"soiial  roinfdrt  and  tlie  retiiii'iiuMit  i>f  high  oulture.  The  ap|ii)iiitiaeiits  of 
the  dining-room  are  in  the  same  rare  good  taste.  Pictures  and  books  and  flow- 
ers occupy  every  spai'e  place,  and  seem  exactly  fitted  to  the  space  they  occupy. 
A  broad  bajMviudow  overlooks  a  inaguificent  rhododendron,  and  a  bit  of 
bewitching  landscape  beyond,  whik'  a  smaller  win(hiw  upini  the  eastern  side 
reveals  glimpses  of  a  leafy  ami  picturesque  hillside. 

The  poet's  library  and  study-room  is  in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the 
mansion.  It  is  separated  from  the  pailor  by  an  immense  forefatherly  tliininey. 
The  original  fireplace  has  disappeared  in  favor  of  a  patent  fire-frame,  where 
curling  flames  ilance  merrily  in  chilly  weather;  but  the  Dutch  tiles,  with  their 
Scriptiu'al  references,  remain.  The  room  is  of  the  same  size  as  the  i)arlor,  and 
it  has  two  bay-Anndows  courting  the  sunshine  and  the  magnolia-shades,  with 
patches  of  water-2)rospect,  and  romantic  and  wooded  undulations  upon  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  bay.  The  entire  walls  to  the  ceiling  aiv  lined  with  books. 
Nearly  all  that  genius  has  created  or  industry  achieved  in  the  way  of  lettere 
has  found  its  way  to  these  shelves.  A  large  lil)raiy-table  occupies  the  center 
of  the  room,  and  is  strewed  with  jieriodicals  and  literary  novelties.  In  the 
western  bay-mndow  stands  a  small  writing-desk,  which,  like  the  pen  oi  the 
poet  and  the  scholar,  seems  to  have  caught  inspiration  from  the  ceaseless  hum 
of  rustling  foliage  and  the  poesy  of  birds.  Pictures  and  choice  engraArings 
upon  easels,  coaxing  armchairs,  and  brilliant  rugs,  add  to  the  subtile  charms  of 
this  iucomjiarable  room,  from  which  has  emanated  so  much  of  the  best  thought 
in  our  language. 

The  up])er  rooms  are  large  and  luxurious,  and  nearly  all  of  them  open  upon 
balconies,  commanding  views  which  are  a  ])erjietual  fascination.  Of  the  guest- 
chaiiibei',  directly  over  the  libi'ary,  a  recent  wiitei'  lias  diawn  this  luiet'  picture: 
"  Easy-chaii"s  and  sofas,  cuitaius  in  daintiest  chintz,  matching  the  oak  furniture, 
which  ap2)ear  to  be  the  spontaneous  product  of  the  carpet,  a  little  bookcase 
filled,  a  table  before  it  with  inkstand  and  fancy  jien-wiper,  and  works  of  art." 

The  chief  gloiy  of  Cedarmere,  however,  is  in  its  grounds  and  surroundings. 
From  the  house  no  fences  or  l)oundaries  can  be  seen,  only  vistas  of  exceeding 
beauty  reaching  off  to  whei-e  the  trees  and  mountains  seem  to  come  together, 
or  the  water  dwindles  to  a  jtoint  bridged  with  overhanging  foliage. 

A  fanciful,  artificial  lake  glimmei's  from  below  the  house,  between  \\  hich 


LATER    PERIOD. 


131 


132  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

and  the  bay  an  irregular  t'iiil)ankiuent  ba.s  ])een  constructed,  which  is  tilled 
with  trees  and  shrubbery.  The  Quaker  proprietor  of  Cedanuere,  many  yeai-s 
ago,  gathered  the  hill-side  springs  into  this  basin  for  the  practical  purpose  <jf 
running  a  small  manufacturing  establishment,  little  dreaming  that  it  would  be 
convei-ted  into  a  "joy  for  ever"  to  the  admiring  eye.  The  garden,  spreading 
over  an  acre,  or  possibly  two,  is  disposed  along  the  slope  l)etween  the  house 
and  the  l>ay,  and  is  encirch^d  i>n  all  sides  by  gi'and  old  trees  and  luxui'iant 
shnibs.  It  is  fiUed  with  the  choicest  specimens  of  Hoial  cultui'e.  Here  and 
there  fruit-trees  of  gentle  bii'th  and  foreign  lineage,  such  as  the  pereimmon,  the 
Portuguese  quince,  the  Chickasaw  plum,  and  the  Chinese  sand-pear,  which  de- 
cline the  associations  of  a  common  orchard,  flourish  in  haughty  isolation  with- 
out casting  ever  a  grim  shadow  among  the  Howei-s.  Grapes  abound.  In  the 
lower  part  of  the  garden  seven  or  eight  varieties  are  cultivated  under  glass, 
and  there  are  at  least  ten  other  varieties  in  different  places. 

Mr.  Bryant  was  a  skilled  horticulturist,  and  in  his  various  and  extensive 
travels  never  omitted  an  opportunity  of  securing  the  products  of  other  climes, 
and  ex]ierinieuting  upon  their  culture  at  Cedarniere.  As  a  natural  result,  the 
garden  itself  is  a  remai'kable  and  instinctive  botanical  cyclopsetlia,  as  weU  as  a 
continual  artistic  surprise. 

On  the  southern  edge  of  an  extensive  and  well-regulated  strawberiy-patch, 
near  the  foot  of  the  slope,  is  a  unique  little  mill  which  contains  saws  and  ma- 
chinery, with  power  to  force  water  into  a  reservoir  upon  the  top  of  the  hill.  It 
is  nestled  in  shrubbery  and  oppressed  with  vines,  and  has  the  outward  a})pear- 
ance  of  a  summer-house. 

The  trees  of  Cedarmere,  to  do  thcin  justice,  woiild  recpiire  a  special  article 
to  themselves.  Like  the  i)lants,  they  have  been  brought  from  all  (piarters  of 
the  globe.  They  present  a  curious  combination  of  natural  wildness  with  arti- 
ficial planting.  Not  far  from  the  house  stands  a  Turkish  oak,  indigenous  in 
the  islands  of  the  Archi}>elago  and  throughout  Greece  ;  and  l)y  its  side,  as  if 
jealous  of  so  much  foreign  arrogance,  sulks  an  old  American  oak,  with  a  liead 
broader  than  the  height  of  its  trunk  ;  in  the  inunediate  vicinity  another  mem- 
ber of  the  oak  family  offei-s  leaves  destitute  of  flexible  points  or  bristles.  In 
the  remote  boundaries  of  Cedarmere  are  some  gigantic  natives  of  hoary  age. 
A  huge  black  walnut,  for  instance,  is  some  twenty-five  feet  in  circumference. 


LATER    PERIOD.  133 

and  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high.  It  is  supposed  to  be  at  least  one 
hundi'ed  and  seventy  years  old.  It  has  several  branches  equal  in  size  to  giant 
trees.  Along  the  road  to  Glen  Cove,  Mr.  Biyant  formed  a  sort  of  belt  to  his 
property  by  planting  several  thousand  European  larches — similar  to  the  Ameri- 
can hackmatack.  One  high  point  of  laud  overlooks  even  many  of  the  trees, 
and  from  it  is  obtained  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Sound  seven  miles  distant, 
with  the  village  of  the  Methodist  camping-ground  in  the  intervening  space. 

It  is  a  walk  of  miles  to  visit  the  various  points  of  interest  with  which  Ce- 
damiere  abounds.  Cottages,  pretty  and  picturesque,  spring  upon  the  rambler 
from  the  most  unexpected  quarters,  each  presenting  a  different  phase  of  ai'chi- 
tecture.  There  are  some  eight  or  ten,  all  of  Mr.  Bryant's  building,  and  de- 
signed for  members  of  his  family  or  personal  friends.  The  handsome  dwelling 
of  Parke  God\vin,  Mr.  Bryant's  son-in-law,  is  Just  to  the  north  of  the  one  illus- 
trated, hedged  in  by  weeping-^villows  and  stately  ekns.  Fruit,  shade,  ornamen- 
tal, and  forest  trees  are  in  every  part  of  this  vast  domain ;  standing  singly, 
standing  in  rows,  standing  in  clusters,  as  if  they  had  been  distributed  through 
some  convulsion  of  the  elements,  mthout  order  or  method.  And  yet  the  most 
consummate  method  is  discernible  in  their  arrangement.  They  become  a  study 
the  moment  it  is  remembered  that  the  hand  of  the  poet  himself  planted  the 
greater  part  of  them.  And  they  acquire  a  sacred  charm  through  the  knowl- 
edge that  under  their  shade  the  gifted  Biyant  di'ew  inspiration  for  some  of 
his  noblest  works. 

Within  tlie  classic  shades  of  old  Cambridge,  Massachusetts — 

"  Somewhat  back  from  the  village  street, 
Stands  the  old-fashioned  country  seat  " — 

the  home  to  which  Heniy  Wadsworth  Longfellow  so  pleasantly  alludes  in  his 
pretty  domestic  poem,  "  The  Old  Clock  on  the  Stairs."  It  is  a  great,  square, 
substantial,  unpretending,  two-stoiy  structure,  with  a  front  of  some  fifty  feet  in 
width,  overlooking  the  placid  river  Charles,  as  it  winds  through  a  meadow,  one 
fourth  of  a  mile  distant.  Upon  both  sides  of  the  edifice  are  spacious  covered 
piazzas,  where  guests  may  loiter  in  the  hot  summer  days,  inhaling  poetiy  from 
the  sun-charged  air  as  perfumes  are  breathed  from  floral  gardens.     The  house 


i;u 


Till:    noMF.s     OF    AMKIilCA. 


Home    of    He 


Wndsworlh    Longfellow. 


-i,i 


i.s  situated  aljcmt  liali'  a  iiiiK'  west 
of  the  university  fi>i-  wliich  Cam- 
bridge is  noted,  in  the  center  of  a 
lik)t  of  some  ten  acres  of  ground. 
On  either  side  of  the  walk  from 
the  gate  is  a  closely  trimmed  lawn, 

and  on  the  sides  and  in  the  rear  of  the  mansion  aie  elumj)s  uf  tall,  wide-spreading 
elms,  with  lilac  and  other  buslies  and  shiiibs  scattered  here  and  there  near  the 


LATER    PERIOD. 


135 


boundaries.  Admitted  to  the  entrance-hall,  your  eye  lights  directly  upon  the 
antique,  massive  staircase,  with  the  clock  upon  the  lauding,  as  shown  in  the 
sketch,  and  your  mind  runs  naturally  into  the  rhythm  of  your  host : 

"  And  from  its  station  in  the  hall, 
An  ancient  timepiece  says  to  all, 
'  For  ever — never  ! 
Never — for  ever  ! '  " 

The  library  is  a  long,  spacious  room  upon  the  main  floor,  filled  \\i\\\  handsome 
bookcases,  one  of  which  is  located  between  two  CJorinthian  columns  at  the  end 
of  the  apartment,  and  all  are  teeming  with  wealth  of  various  lore.  A  few 
shelves  contain  strictly  literary  curiosities ;  and  evidences  of  taste  and  scholar- 
ship are  upon  every  side.  A  small  table  by  the  ^\dndow  which  opens  upon  the 
garden  is  the  customary  seat  of  the  poet.  The  connecting  room  in  front — the 
smaller  of  the  two  rooms — is  more  distinctively  the  "  study  "  of  Mr.  Lono-fel- 
low,  and  it  is  also  the  favorite  resort  of  the  family  cu-cle  in  winter.  It  is  a 
repository  for  books  as  well  as  the  library,  and  is  strewed  with  the  graceful 
detail  of  an  elegant  household.  Upon  its  walls  hang  crayon  portraits  of 
Emerson,  Sumner,  Lowell,  and  Hawthorne. 

This  "  study "  possesses  a  charm  over  all  the  other  rooms  of  the  mansion 
from  having  been  used  as  the  dining-room  of  Washington  for  nine  months, 
when  this  mansion  was  his  residence  dm-ing  the  siege,  prior  to  driving  the 
British  out  of  Boston  in  March,  1776.  The  apartment  in  the  rear  (now  the 
library)  was  his  council-room  and  private  sitting-room,  and  from  here  he  sent 
forth  every  morning  his  orders  for  the  day.  The  room  directly  above  the 
study  was  his  bedchamber.  When  Mrs.  Washington  arrived  she  converted  the 
spacious  di-awing-rooms,  which  had  abeady  been  the  scene  of  innumerable 
receptions  and  old-time  banquets,  to  cheeiful  and  constant  usage.  Sixty  or 
more  years  later,  the  poet,  coming  into  possession  of  the  house,  embalmed  with 
dainty  verse  its  historic  memories  : 

"  Once — ah,  once ! — within  these  walls, 
One  whom  memory  oft  recalls. 
The  Father  of  his  Country  dwelt. 


13()  ////•'    HOMES     OF   AMA'h'/CA. 

And  yonder  meadows,  broad  and  damp, 
The  fires  of  the  besieging  camp 

Encircled  ■with  a  burning  belt. 
Up  and  down  these  echoing  stairs, 
Heavy  with  the  weight  of  cares, 

Sounded  his  majestic  tread  ; 
Yes,  within  this  very  room, 
Sat  he  in  those  hours  of  gloom. 

Weary  bnth  in  licart  and  liead." 

Tlie  precise  age  of  tliis  iiiterestiiig  luaiisiou  is  not  known.  It  was  gen- 
erously biiilt  by  Colonel  John  Vassal,  a  colonial  aristocrat,  some  years  before 
the  Revolution,  although  it  has  since  been  enlarged.  Vassal  had  made  a  for- 
tune in  the  A^'est  India  trade,  and  married  the  daughter  of  the  rich  Isaac  Royall 
before  consigning  himself  to  Cambridge,  domestic  felicity,  and  the  exercise  of 
a  lordly  and  generous  hospitality.  After  his  death  and  burial,  Avith  due 
jjomp,  in  the  churchyard,  where  his  moss-grown  tombstone  may  still  be  seen, 
his  son  reigned  in  his  stead.  The  latter  wjis  living  upon  the  estate  in  a 
grand  style  when  the  war  rendered  the  vicinity  of  Boston  dangerous  for  the 
devotees  of  royalty,  and  he  hastily  closed  his  house  and  left  the  country.  The 
Massachusetts  colony  promptly  confiscated  tlu-  ]>i(>iici'ty,  and  assigned  the  resi- 
dence to  "Washington  for  several  months. 

With  the  return  of  peace  the  house  fell  into  the  hands  of  Thomas  Tracy,  a 
personage  who  was  notable  for  lavish  exjienditure,  and  ban(iuets  at  which  a 
hundred  guests  were  seated.  He  was  the  owner  of  ships,  and  sent  privateers 
scouring  the  ocean  for  golden  sands.  He  came  to  grief  at  last,  and  no  more 
vessels  anchored  in  Boston  Bay  laden  A\-ith  riches  from  every  zone.  Servants 
drank  no  more  costly  A\dnes  from  carved  pitchers,  and  the  light  of  the  pretty 
illumiuation  upon  this  one  iliaptti'  in  the  history  of  the  house  was  completely 
extinguished.  Joseph  Lee,  the  brother  of  ]\Irs.  Tracy,  afterward  dwelt  here 
for  a  long  period,  and  then  the  ]>roperty  wtis  bought  by  Andrew  Craigie,  apoth- 
ecaiy-general  of  the  army.  lie  was  a  man  of  social  tastes,  and  liberal  while 
his  money  lasted.  He  enlarged  and  repaired  the  mansion,  built  a  bridge  over 
the  Charles  River,  constructed  a  summerdiouse  and  an  aqueduct — both  of  which 
have  disappeared — and  gave-  dinner-parties  every  Saturday,  on  one  occasion. 


LATER   PERIOD.  137 

according  to  tradition,  entertaining  Talleyrand.  He  failed,  and  after  liim  Mrs. 
Craigie,  -wdshing  to  retain  the  mansion,  let  rooms.  Edward  Everett,  Jared 
Sparks,  Willard  Phillips,  and  Worcester,  the  gentle  and  genial  lexicographer, 
were  among  her  lodgers.  Here  came  Longfellow  soon  after  his  second  Euro- 
pean visit  and  his  appointment  to  a  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  and  was 
shortly  quartered  snugly  in  the  historical  chamber  over  the  "  study,"  in  which 
he  A\Tote  "Hyperion"  in  1838-39.  In  1843  he  purchased  the  property,  and 
has  ever  since  resided  in  the  stately  old  dwelling.  It  is  consecrated,  as  it  were, 
to  the  delicate  rendering  of  universal  emotions  through  the  little  facts  of  life 
strung  into  fitting  measures  for  the  exquisite  music  of  the  soul.  Thus  -with  its 
antiquity,  its  legends  and  its  lore,  its  romance,  its  history,  and  its  poesy,  the 
home  of  Longfellow  is  one  of  the  most  precious  gems  in  the  galaxy,  and  will 
ever  hold  a  prominent  place  in  the  great  American  heart. 

"  Elmwood,"  the  residence  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  is  not  far  from  that  of 
Longfellow.  It  stands  on  gently  rising  ground  a  considerable  distance  back 
from  the  avenue,  and  has  such  a  snug  and  dreamy  air  that  it  looks  even 
more  like  the  ideal  abode  of  reverie  and  poetry  than  its  neighbor.  It  was 
built  over  a  century  ago  by  Thomas  Oliver,  the  last  royal  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor of  Massachusetts,  a  man  of  letters,  courteous,  affable,  and  of  large,  ami- 
able nature,  as  denoted  by  his  design  of  what  was  then  esteemed  the  finest 
mansion  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston.  It  is  substantial,  square,  roomy,  aris- 
tocratic-looking, and  a  fine  example  of  the  type  of  domestic  architecture  which 
flourished  in  many  portions  of  New  England  and  New  York  during  the  half 
century  immediately  following.  A  miniatui'e  forest  is  scattered  about  the  lawn, 
consisting  of  noble  elms,  fruit-trees,  and  choice  shrubs ;  so  thickly,  indeed,  is 
the  place  hemmed  in  during  the  summer  that  the  mansion  can  scarcely  be  dis- 
cerned from  the  street.  A  high  gate  leads  to  a  long,  broad  walk,  bordered  on 
both  sides  by  shrubs  and  flowers ;  and  at  the  back  and  on  either  side  of  the 
house  are  orchards,  gardens,  and  shrubberies.  The  grounds  comj)rise  about 
thirteen  acres,  and  adjoin  Mount  Auburn  Cemetery  upon  one  side. 

In  this  house  Lowell  was  born,  and  here  he  has  always  lived.  Never  was 
poet  more  lovingly  content  with  his  home.  He  has  sung  its  praises  in  some  of 
his  most  captivating  strains.     Like  Longfellow,  he  catches  from  his  windows 

18 


138  Till-:   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

iluiiiaiiig  glimpses  of  the  river  Charles  across  the  mai-shes,  which  inspii'ed  the 

lines — 

"  Bflow,  the  Cliarles — a  strip  of  nether  sky, 
Now  hid  by  rounded  apple-trees  between, 
"Wlio.sc  <raps  the  misplaced  sail  sweeps  bellying  by. 

Now  flickering  golden  through  a  woodland  screen, 
Then  spreading  out  at  his  next  turn  beyond, 
A  silver  circle  like  an  inland  pond — 

Slips  seaward  silently  through  marshes  purple  and  green." 

Approaching  the  house  l)y  the  ijroiid  walk,  a  veiy  tali  and  ancient  elm  is 
jiassed — the  pride  of  the  poet,  the  ceutennial  of  which  lie  ha.s  thus  (piaintly 
celebrated  in  verse : 

"  And  one  tall  elm,  this  Inindredtli  year, 
Doge  of  our  leafy  Venice  here, 
Who,  with  an  annual  ring,  doth  wed 
The  blue  Adriatic  overhead. 
Shadows,  with  his  palatial  mass, 
The  deep  canal  of  flowing  grass, 
Wliere  glow  the  dandelions  sparee. 
For  shadows  of  Italian  stars." 

Broad  stone  steps  lead  to  the  portal,  within  which  is  a  glass  door,  giving 
a  glimpse  of  the  cozy  hall  beyond.  The  interior  of  "  Elmwood  "  has  all  the 
old-fashioned  elegance  and  air  of  comfort  to  be  found  in  houses  of  its  age 
and  style.  On  the  right  is  the  drawing-room,  furnished  in  the  solid  and  rich 
fashion  of  the  last  century,  and  with  many  ornaments  chosen  ■with  a  poet's 
taste.  Passing  along  the  hall  to  the  rear,  Lowell's  study  and  favorite  "  den  "  is 
reached  on  the  left.  It  is  a  fascinating  room,  Avith  its  great,  open  firej^lace  and 
spacious  chimney,  where  enormous  logs  blaze  on  \vinter  nights ;  its  windows 
shaded,  and  looking  out  upon  the  flowers  and  plants ;  its  bronzes,  vases,  relics 
of  the  wai',  and  many  literary  and  artistic  curiosities ;  its  air  of  confusion  ;  its 
tables  and  \\Titing-desks  littered  mth  books,  papere,  pamphlets,  meerechaum- 
pipes,  pens,  and  little  conveniences ;  its  large  easy-chair,  from  which  many  an 
eloquent  discoui-se  has  proceeded  t<>  familiar  friends  on  politics,  letters,  and  art; 
and  its  book-shelves,  choked  upwitli  lirli  mul  various  lure.     Another  smaller 


LATER  PERIOD. 


139 


'Elm wood,"    Residence    of  James    Russell    Lowell. 


study  opens  from  this,  Avith  desks,  books,  '^"-'-'^ 

and  portraits — a  room  but  little  used. 

The  pictures  which   Lowell  has  woven 
into  the  textui"e  of    his  minstrelsy  have  been  drawn  directly  from   Nature. 
His  descriptions  of  scenery  are  full  of  local  coloring,  as  in  his  "  Indian  Sum- 
mer Reverie  "  he  portrays  the  gay  and  careless  tanglement  of  shmbbery  just 
by  his  house : 


140  THE  nOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

"  O'er  yon  low  wall,  wlik-li  j^uards  our  iinkcnipt  zone, 
Where  vines,  and  weeds,  and  scnilj-oaks  intertwine 

Safe  from  the  plow,  whose  rough,  discordant  stone 
Is  massed  to  one  soft  gray  by  lichens  fine, 

The  tangled  blackberry,  crossed  and  recrossed,  weaves 

A  prickly  network  of  ensanguined  leaves  ; 

Hard  by,  with  coral  beads,  the  prim  black-aldei-s  shine." 

The  ancestors  of  Lowell  ^vel•e  among  the  most  eminent  of  the  early  settlei-s 
of  Ne\y  England.  The  founder  of  the  LoAvell  family  in  I\rassachnsetts  ^yas 
Percival  Lo\yell,  who  settled  in  Newbury  in  10;59.  Hon.  .Tolni  Lowell,  the 
poet's  grandfather,  ^vas  a  lawyer,  member  of  Congress,  and  one  of  tlie  framers 
of  the  State  Constitution.  Rev.  Charles  Lowell,  the  i)oet's  father,  the  distin- 
guished divine  who  preached  in  Boston  for  half  a  century,  jiurchascd  "  Hlm- 
wood"  of  the  famous  Elbridge  (xeny,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declai-atioii  of 
Indei)endence  and  Vice-Pi'esident  of  the  L'nited  States,  whose  residence  it  liad 
been  for  many  years.  It  was  this  clerical  author  who  i-ctittcd  and  rcstoicd  the 
house,  making  inimerous  important  additions,  and  planting  many  of  tiie  stately 
elms  from  which  the  estate  has  Wm\  named.  The  poet  was  named  after  his 
fatlier's  maternal  grandfather,  Judge  James  Ivussell. 

The  plain,  square,  white  dwelling  of  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  purchased  by 
him  in  1835,  is  of  a  similar  antique  pattern,  although  erected  many  yeare  later 
than  tliat  of  James  Russell  Lowell.  Situated  in  Concord,  Massachusetts,  one 
hour's  railroad  ride  from  Boston,  and  scarcely  ten  miles  from  the  university  at 
Cambridge,  encircled  with  ruial  beauties,  it  lifts  its  venerable  head  like  a  se- 
vere, unimaginative  picket  guard,  invested  with  a  city  ratlier  than  a  country 
air.  A  thick  grove  of  pine-  and  fii'-trees  almost  lii'ush  with  their  branches  the 
panes  of  glass  in  the  library-windows.  LTjioii  one  side  of  (he  liouse  is  a  smooth 
lawn  upon  which  a  graceful  rustic  summer-house  long  stood,  the  handicraft  of 
Amos  Bronson  Alcott ;  upon  the  other  is  an  amjile  pear-  and  apple-orchard  ;  in 
front  a  row  of  thick-leaved  horse-chestnuts  Houiisli,  now  nearly  half  a  centuiy 
old;  and  in  tlie  rear  the  land  slopes  gently  to  a  little  streamlet  which  flows 
into  the  Concord  River  l)ut  a  short  distance  away. 

The  site  of  the   house  is  not  historical.     No  legend,  as  far  as  known,  ever 


LATER   PERIOD.  141 

entwined  itself  about  a  root  or  a  branch  belonging  to  the  estate.  Concord 
itself  enjoys  the  fame  of  liaviug  been  one  of  the  spots  where  the  first  collision 
occurred  between  the  British  and  Americans  in  1775.  And  an  eminent  figure 
in  the  history  of  Ha^vthorne's  "  Old  Manse  "  is  said  to  have  checked  the  stream 
of  talk  while  entertaining  distinguished  guests  upon  his  doorstep,  to  answer 
the  question  of  a  servant : 

"  Into  what  pasture  shall  I  turn  the  cow  to-night  ? " 
"  Into  the  battle-field,  Nicodemus— into  the  battle-field  !  " 
But  the  home  of  Emerson  has  no  lot  or  part  in  the  Kevolutionary  distinc- 
tion of  this  tranquil  and  attractive  New  England  village.  It  stands  not  far 
fi-om  the  public  square,  at  the  junction  of  the  old  Lexington  turnpike  and  the 
road  to  Boston.  Even  its  prospect  is  limited.  The  level,  lonely  pastures,  the 
placid,  cur\aug  river  half  sleep  amid  the  turf  and  shrabbery ;  the  quaint,  old- 
fashioned  houses,  varied  now  and  then  by  newer  and  more  sho^vy  buildino-s ; 
the  shaded  streets,  the  trim,  unambitious  gardens,  the  blue  lake  with  its  "  depths 
profound,"  the  swells  or  ridges  of  land  which  border  the  meado^vs  and  give 
the  town  from  a  distance  the  appearance  of  ha^-ing  fallen  by  chance  among 
wooded  hills,  and  the  smiling  fields— form  a  restful  and  heart-satisf>dng  land- 
scape, easily  seen  upon  the  pages  of  its  master,  though  not  from  the  windows 
of  the  mansion.     And  literally  trae  are  the  follo^^-iug  lines : 

" .  .  .  .  dell  and  crag, 
Hollow  and  lake,  hillside  and  pine-arcade, 
Are  touched  with  genius." 

At  the  same  time  this  snug,  unpretentious,  convenient,  and  thoroughly  built 
country  residence  is  the  bower  of  the  literary  artist,  from  whatever  "source 
inspiration  may  be  drawn,  and  through  its  charmed  portals  Avell  the  precious 
results  of  contemplation  and  poetic  impulse. 

Kalph  Waldo  Emerson  is  of  clerical  blood  and  birth,  having  had  a  minister 
for  an  ancestor  in  eveiy  successive  generation  for  eight  generations  liaek,  either 
on  the  paternal  or  maternal  side.  His  grandfather,  Rev.  William  Emerson, 
built  the  "  Old  Manse  "  a  few  years  before  the  Revolution,  to  which  he  brought 
his  bride,  the  daughter  of  his  predecessor  in  the  Concord  chm-ch,  Rev.  Daniel 
Bliss.     It  was  here  that  the  Rev.  WiUiam  Emerson,  of  Boston,  the  father  of 


142 


THE  HOMES    OE  AMERICA. 


Residence    of    Ralph    Waldo    Emerson. 


TJalph  Waldo,  was  Ijoiu.  Tlie  latter's  ])iitlii)laoe  was  Boston,  in  1803,  l)ut  Con- 
cord was  the  ])aradlse  of  liis  boyhood,  lie  spending  nuich  time  at  the  "Old 
Manse"  with  liis  graiHljiarents.  The  scenery  was  congenial,  and  liis  sul)se- 
(jueut  choice  of  a  home  natural.     His  writings  have  no  imported  tlavor. 

The  most  interesting  room  is  the  library.  It  is  square,  and  gravely  plain. 
There  are  no  architectural  bookcases,  but  two  sides  ;irc  lined  to  the  eeiliiig  Avitli 
choice  tomes  arranged  upon  simple  wooden  shelves.  ^V  large  lireplace,  with 
high  brass  andirons,  occupies  one  end,  over  which  is  an  antiijue  mantel  sujipoi-t- 
ing  busts  and  statuettes  of  men  j)roniinent  in  the  great  reforms  of  the  age,  and 


LATER    PERIOD.  143 

a  curious  little  idol  brought  from  the  Nile.  Above  this  hangs  a  fine  copy  of 
Michael  Angelo's  "  Fates."  In  the  center  of  the  room  stands  a  large  mahogany 
table  covered  with  books,  and  by  the  morocco  writing-pad  lies  the  pen  which 
has  had  so  great  an  influence  foi'  twenty-five  years  upon  the  thought  of  two 
continents.  Within  these  study-walls  have  occurred  many  of  the  famous 
"  Conversations  "  of  Mr.  Alcott,  and  here  came  Henry  David  Thoreau,  the  nat- 
lU'alist  and  scholar.  He  lived  three  years  in  the  family  of  Emerson.  Then  he 
built  him  a  little  house  vA\\\  his  own  hands  in  the  berry-pasture,  alongside  of 
Walden  Pond.  Emerson,  Alcott,  and  a  few  others  helped  him  raise  the  stnic- 
ture.  He  was  known  in  his  studious  retirement  as  an  oddity,  l)ut  was  appre- 
ciated by  Etnerson,  and  often  welcomed  in  this  study. 

Ha^\i;horne  resorted  frequently  hither  while  dwelling  in  the  "  Old  Manse  " ; 
and  Margaret  Fuller,  William  EUery  Channing,  the  celebrated  divine,  Charles 
Sumner,  Theodore  Parker,  Lord  Amberley,  Longfellow,  Whittier,  Lowell, 
Holmes,  Wendell  Phillips,  Higginson,  George  William  Curtis,  Bret  Harte,  and 
himdreds  of  others  who  have  made  for  themselves  world-wide  reputations  in 
poetry,  art,  literature,  or  politics,  have  been  from  time  to  time  familiar  visitors 
under  this  roof. 

Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson  -writes  :  "  Though  Mr.  Emerson  is  often  as- 
signed to  the  class  of  metaphysicians  or  philosophers,  yet  the  actual  traits  of 
his  intellect  clearly  rank  him  rather  among  poets  or  literary  men."  And  yet, 
speaking  of  his  methods  and  stnictural  defects,  he  goes  on  to  say :  "  Even  in 
his  poems,  his  genius  is  like  an  ^olian  harp,  that  now  gives,  now  willfidly 
withholds  its  music ;  while  some  of  his  essays  seem  merely  accidental  collec- 
tions of  loose  leaves  from  a  note-book.  Yet  as  one  makes  this  criticism,  one  is 
shamed  into  silence  by  remembering  many  a  passage  of  prose  and  verse  so  ma- 
jestic in  thought  and  rhythm,  of  quality  so  rare  and  utterance  so  delicious,  as 
to  form  a  permanent  addition  to  the  highest  literature  of  the  human  race." 

The  home  of  Amos  Bronson  Alcott,  one  of  the  intellectual  lights  and  strik- 
ing personages  of  Concord,  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  that  of  Mr.  Emer- 
son, even  as  the  names  of  the  two  great  thinkers  are  inseparably  associated.  It 
is  the  veritable  farmhouse  under  the  hillside  on  the  Lexington  road,  which 
Hawthorne  takes  as  the  abode  of  one  of  his  lieroes  in  "  Septimius  Felton."     It 


144 


TIIK    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


has  long  since  received  fn>iii  the  artistir  liaiid  of  the  ideal  refonuer  aud  trans- 
cendentalist  such  alterations  and  additions  as  have  converted  the  plain  cottage 
into  a  ])iotures(iue  home  for  scholarship  and  literature.     It  is  cozily  nestled 


t^^'^s**)^:-''-^'^?^^^'^ 


r-i;^'.. 


Residence    of    A.     Bronson    Alcolt. 


among  heautiful  elms,  wliile  orchards  l)lo()iii  ami  sweet  pastures  stretch  away 
on  either  hand.  Until  recently  the  domain  was  shut  off  from  the  street  ])y  a 
unicpie  rustic  fence  of  Mr.  Alcott's  own  construction — a  kind  of  work  of  which 
he  makes  a  pastime,  and  executes  with  exceptional  taste  and  skill. 


LATER    PERIOD.  145 

The  house  is  low-stiulded  l)ut  spacious,  witli  an  abuntlanoe  of  room.  It  is 
specially  rich  in  odd  uooks  aud  corners,  and  it  is  ornamented  and  furnished  in 
a  manner  which  indicates  the  refinement  and  varied  gifts  of  its  occupants.  The 
presence  of  an  artist  is  revealed  at  a  glance.  It  has  been  said  of  Mr.  Alcott 
that  "  his  best  contribution  to  literatiu-e  is  his  daughter  Louisa,"  author  of 
"  Little  Women  "  aud  other  works  which  have  carried  her  fame  to  the  world's 
end ;  but  the  rising  star  of  his  younger  daughter  Mary  in  the  profession  of  art 
is  the  secret  of  many  of  the  graceful  attractions  of  the  old  homestead.  The 
prospect  from  the  front  of  the  house  is  open  and  pleasant :  in  the  rear  it  is 
overtopped  by  the  familiar  pine-wood  of  the  Concord  landscape,  and  gentle 
hills  and  sequestered  pathways  afford  many  a  charming  ramble. 

Mr.  Alcott  was  born  in  Wolcott,  Connecticut,  in  1799.  He  says  he  was 
educated  on  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress."  He  borrowed  the  book  of  a  neighbor, 
and  after  keeping  it  six  months  returned  it — and  then  borrowed  it  again  ! 
This  he  did  every  six  months  until  the  book  was  given  to  him.  His  memory 
is  unrivaled.  He  is  chiefly  distinguished  for  his  conversational  jjowers.  He  is 
a  tall,  well-proportioned,  sunny  old  gentleman  of  eighty  well-rounded  years, 
with  long,  silvery  hair,  a  merry  tmnkle  in  his  eye,  and  life  and  animation 
lighting  up  his  countenance  with  every  new  topic  of  discussion  or  disquisition. 

The  "  White  House,"  at  Washington,  the  oflicial  home  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  illustrated  in  our  frontispiece,  is  a  striking  example  of  the 
tendency  of  the  national  taste  during  the  early  years  of  our  republic  toward 
the  severely  classical  in  domestic  architecture.  This  edifice  was  projected,  and 
the  corner-stone  laid  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  in  1792.  It  was  destroyed 
by  the  British  in  1814,  and  rebuilt  after  the  original  plan  in  1815.  It  occupies 
the  center  of  a  twenty-acre  lot  situated  upon  an  elevation  foiiy-four  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Potomac  River,  the  grounds  cultivated  in  keeping  with  the 
dignified  aspect  of  the  mansion  itself.  Two  large  gateways  constitute  the  en- 
trances from  the  avenue,  and  a  broad  drive  and  a  foot-walk  sweep  in  a  sjin- 
metrical  semicircular  curve  past  the  main  portico. 

It  is  built  of  white  stone,  and  has  a  fi'ontage  of  one  hundred  and  seventy 
feet,  with  a  depth  of  eighty-six  feet.  The  grand  northern  portico  is  graced  by 
ten  massive  Ionic  columns,  comprehending  two  lofty  stories,  and  the  whole 


U(; 


THE   HOMES    OF   AMElilCA. 


buildini(  is  crowned  by  u  stone  l)alustraile.  An  outer  inter-eoluniniation  for 
carriages  to  drive  under  enables  guests  to  alight  under  shelter,  and  the  nudiUe 
space  between  the  columns  on  either  side  of  the  poilico  is  provided  witli  a 
flight  of  steps  for  v-isitoi-s  who  walk.     The  southern  front  of  the  house  over- 


looks  the  P(itiini;u',  a  poi'tinii  of  whieh  is  shown  in  tltc  ;u-ci>ni|ian\ing  sketeli  ;  it 
is  finisheil  with  a  lofty,  semicircular  jtrojecting  jxirtico  with  six  Ionic  columns 
resting  ui)on  a  rustic  basement,  which  being  above-groun<l,  the  favade  is  really 
three  stories. 

The  ceiitial  n<iillicrii  door  opens  into  a  spacious  entrance-hall  elalioi'ately 
frescoed,  forty  by  tifty  feet  deep ;  a  sash-screen  divides  this  hall  into  two  une- 
qual parts.     Upon  the  right  is  a  small  reception-room,  upon  the  left  a  staircase 


LATER    PERIOD. 


147 


leading  to  the  anteroom  of  the  President.  Inside  the  screen  the  hall  leads 
directly  to  the  famous  East  Room,  forty  by  eighty  feet,  and  twenty-two  feet 
high,  the  decorations  of  which  are  of  the  Grecian  order.  The  Blue  Room, 
where  the  President  and  his  wife  hold  public  receptions,  is  a  splendid  apart- 
ment, thirty  by  forty  feet,  finished  and  furnished  in  blue  and  gold.  The  Green 
Room  is  of  less  size,  connectmg  the  Blue  Room  with  the  great  East  Room. 
The  Red  Room  is  the  family  parloi-,  and  is  located  directly  between  the  Blue 
Room  and  the  State  Dining-Room.  The  latter  is  a  stately  apartment,  thirty  by 
forty  feet,  with  a  dining-table  for  thirty-six  covers. 

The  President's  household  occupy  the  second  floor,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Cabinet  Room  at  the  east  end,  anterooms,  etc.  The  library  is  a  great, 
cheerful  apartment  over  the  Blue  Room,  where  intimate  personal  fiiends  are 
entertained  iufonnally.  Seven  large  and  handsomely  furnished  slee]3ing-apart- 
ments  are  also  upon  this  floor.  The  servants'  quarters  are  in  the  commodious 
basement,  as  are  also  the  kitchens  and  store-rooms.  The  private  diuina--room  of 
the  President's  family  is  on  the  fii"st  floor  at  the  right  of  the  main  entrance, 
just  beyond  the  little  reception-room.  Its  appointments  are  elegant  and  in 
exceptional  good  taste.  The  conservatory  is  connected  with  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  structure,  and  is  reached  by  a  passage  from  this  floor. 

^\Tien  the  Executive  Mansion  was  erected,  the  city  of  Washington  -was  in- 
vested with  a  coui-tly  tone,  and  the  new  house  was  styled  "  The  Palace."  The 
flavor  of  royalty  clung  to  the  manners  and  mode  of  speech  of  the  early  heads 
of  the  government.  Mrs.  Madison  was  approached  as  "  The  Queen,"  and  in 
her  day  every  recognized  form  of  etiquette  was  rigidly  observed.  Mrs.  Monroe 
first  earned  into  execution  the  custom  of  never  returning  visits.  It  was  John 
Quincy  Adams  who,  finding  a  social  revolution  imminent,  drew  up  the  formula 
which  has  ever  since  regulated  the  etiquette  of  the  social  superstractm-e.  Mrs. 
Hayes  in  the  present  administration  adheres  strictly  to  the  conventionalities  of 
her  station,  and  presides  over  the  presidential  home  with  unostentatious  ele- 
gance and  stately  grace.  As  we  study  the  characteristics  of  the  home  which 
the  nation  has  erected  for  its  Presidents,  we  seem  to  be  brought  in  palpable 
connection  with  the  long  train  of  distinguished  men  and  women  Avho  have  fi'om 
time  to  time  dwelt  under  its  broad  roof. 


in. 

MODERN  PKIIIOI). 


laKrt^' 


domestic  arcbitectuiv  iia^ 

been  ninning  a  lace  with  the  fjeneral 

devehipinent  aud  prosjierity  of  ^Vnieiica. 

Coiintless  styles  from   all  climes,  -with 

modifications    and   abbreviations,  have 

been  made  subservient  to  the  convenience  and  tastes  of  a  mixed  ]>oi)iilation. 

Cottages  and  villas  combining  the  beautifid  with  the  practical  and  useful  in 

design,  and  as  variously  adorned  as  the  idiosyncrasies  of  the  human  character, 

dot  the  length  and  ])readth  of  oui-  land.     Many  of  these  are  in  themselves  the 

exjjression  of  sentiment,  self-respect,  and  artistic  culture. 


MODERN  PERIOD.  149 

One  feature  of  tlie  striking  departure  of  recent  years  from  the  old-school 
severity  of  architectural  foi-m  and  outline  is  the  adaptation  of  building  to  site. 
Beauty  that  is  not  original  and  independent  often  arises  fi^om  association,  as 
iudiWduality  is  one  of  the  cardinal  principles  of  domestic  taste.  Nature  has 
contributed  largely  to  the  embellishment  of  America.  When  a  house  is 
placed  amid  scenes  of  grandeur  and  sublimity  with  harmonious  results,  we 
are  apt  to  attribute  the  complex  and  pleasm-able  emotions  produced  to  the 
nature  of  the  architecture  alone.  The  same  structure,  however,  denuded  of  its 
surroundings,  would  unquestionably  lose  its  special  chanus.  Not  a  little  of  the 
romance  and  poetiy  hovering  about  ^'illa  residences  depends  upon  the  acces- 
sories of  vines,  creepers,  shi'ubbery,  and  foliage,  as  well  as  the  happy  fitness 
of  architectural  plan  to  the  peculiarities  of  landscape.  The  shores  of  the 
Hudson  River,  "  the  Rhine  of  America,"  are  rich  mth  picturesque  and  beauti- 
ful homes  which  seem  to  have  caught  up  and  developed  in  outward  foiTQ  and 
in  interior  arrangement  the  veiy  spirit  of  the  scenery.  The  Palisades,  a  wall 
of  solid  rock  twenty  miles  long,  are  graced  with  countiy-seats,  one  of  which, 
constructed  of  stone,  in  quaint  keeping  with  its  granite  foundation,  is  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  windows  of  eveiy  apartment  command  magnificent  views  up 
and  down  the  noble  river ;  even  the  staircase  winding  into  a  unique  tower  is 
agreeably  varied  with  restful  landings  emphasized  by  oriel  and  balcony.  The 
natural  slope  of  the  dizzy  height  is  converted  into  a  factor  of  the  general  efi'ect, 
the  sky-lines  rising  in  broken  forms  culminating  in  the  tower  as  the  ground- 
lines  descend ;  thus  the  dwelling  partakes  of  the  imposing  character,  as  if  a 
product,  of  the  nigged  cliffs  themselves. 

While  the  Palisades  represent  grandeur,  the  sloping  hills  about  the  Tappau 
Zee  merge  into  repose.  The  beautiful  villa  of  Albert  Bierstadt,  the  great  laud- 
scape  artist,  is  situated  upon  an  eminence  overlooking  this  scene.  It  is  in  Ir- 
^^no•tou,  twenty-four  miles  fi'om  New  York  City.  It  is  some  thi-ee  fourths  of  a 
mile  from  the  river's  edge,  and  in  the  immediate  foreground  is  Washington 
Irving's  far-famed  Sunnyside,  and  the  homes  of  Moses  H.  Griuuell,  of  Philip  R. 
Paulding — one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  pointed  Tudor  style  of  domestic 
architecture  in  this  country — and  of  many  other  persons  of  wealth,  promi- 
nence, and  aesthetic  tastes.     It  is  a  large,  substantial  house,  built  of  rough  blue- 


150 


TIIK    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


stone  gneiss,  crow  iK'il  with  towci-s,  sunouiidcil  with  i^'alleries,  and  atl(>iiif(l  witli 
orit'l-windows,  at  uiioe  pictaresijiie,  unusual,  and  >in(,'ere. 


Residence    of    Albert    Bierstadt. 


Mr.  Bierstailt  was  five  years  in  selectin*;  the  site  for  liis  dwellinir.  Tt  in> 
doubt  c'oinniaiids  one  of  the  best  vieAvs  on  tlie  Hudson,  takint,''  in,  beyond  the 
jihicid  Ta|i]ian  Zee.  a  landscajn-  of  hill  and  dale  and  watci'  I'cathiuL:'  fiilK   thirty 


MODERN  PERIOD.  151 

miles.  De  Tocqueville,  the  political  economist,  during  a  visit  to  Irving,  was 
conducted  to  this  spot,  and  pronounced  the  view  one  of  the  finest  he  had  ever 
seen  in  any  country. 

Being  an  artist,  Mr.  Bierstadt  naturally  built  his  hoiise  to  paint  pictures  in, 
and  one  half  of  it  is  given  to  studio.  This  room  is  three  stories  in  height, 
starting  from  the  second  floor ;  on  the  same  floor  is  a  libraiy,  separated  by  doors 
twenty  feet  high,  cm-tained  with  striped  Algerine  stuff,  one  side  of  which  is 
composed  entirely  of  glass.  When  thrown  together,  library  and  studio  em- 
brace a  length  of  seventy  feet.  The  studio  is  finished  in  wood,  with  oiled  pine 
floors.  A  large,  cheerful  fireplace,  surmounted  by  a  picture,  graces  one  side  of 
the  room,  while  a  gallery  running  across  the  end  enables  the  artist  to  obtain 
distant  views  of  his  o^\^l  work.  The  furniture  is  of  carved  oak,  and  the  deco- 
rations chiefly  from  the  o^\Tier's  own  brush. 

Looking  northwest  from  this  studio,  Mr.  Bierstadt  painted  "  The  Home  of 
Irving,"  one  of  his  choice  contributions  to  art,  a  picture  subsequently  jjur- 
chased  by  the  gentleman  who  had  fonnerly  owned  and  improved  the  site  of  the 
artist's  villa.  It  is  an  autumnal  scene  pervaded  by  a  deep  poetic  sentiment,  and 
with  much  tenderness  of  expression.  It  embraces  the  stately  trees  and  the 
ripe  foliage  in  the  near  view,  gradually  receding  to  the  dreamy  shades  of  Sleepy 
Hollow  and  other  points  of  legendary  and  historic  interest,  no  single  object 
receiving  undue  attention,  but  all  blended  \A\h.  artistic  sense,  together  mth  the 
shining  waters  of  the  Tappau  Zee,  while  above  and  below  the  romantic  river 
winds  its  quiet  way  through  the  narroAAang  valley  to  the  bliie  mountains,  fading 
into  a  soft  mist  among  the  Catskills.  Over  all  the  buoyant  clouds  float  in  a 
sky  of  azure,  reflected  in  the  placid  Hudson  with  marvelous  truth.  The  glory 
of  the  picture  is  in  the  pertect  balance  of  its  composition,  and  in  the  accuracy 
with  which  the  prospect  from  the  studio-window  is  transferred  to  the  broad 
canvas. 

Above  the  library,  and  holding  the  highest  oriel-window,  is  an  artist's  bed- 
room. By  an  ingenious  contrivance  this  communicates  with  the  gallery  over 
the  studio,  and  a  sliding  door  admits  the  occupant  into  the  beauties  of  the  room 
below.  The  parlors  and  sleeping-apartments  all  open  upon  wide  verandas  and 
balconies,  from  which  the  cultivated  eye  may  rapturously  survey  Nature's  great 
landscape-garden. 


15i'  ////•;    HOMES    or   AMEllICA. 

A  name  which  we  ever  invoke  with  grateful  i-euieiiiliraiu'e  is  that  of  \\  ash- 
iiiLTton  Irving.  He  called  the  Hudson  River  his  "  lii-st  love,"  aii<l,  after  many 
waniiei'ini^s  and  sojounun<;s  in  foreign  lands,  and  seeming  infidelities,  returned 
to  adore  it  above  all  the  other  I'ivers  of  the  world.  His  elioiee  of  a  home  wa.s 
upon  the  site  of  his  l)o\Iiooil"s  haunts,  and  ainiil  the  early  iiisjiiiatioiis  df  his 
muse. 

Sunnyside  lies  hidden  with  jealous  foliage,  its  open,  sunlit  lawn  so  affection- 
ately embraced  by  protecting  trees  and  slniiKhery  a.s  to  tleiiy  all  vagrant  obser- 
vation. When  Irving  first  took  up  his  abode  here,  thirty-three  years  ago,  the 
river-shore  was  not  profaned  by  a  railroad,  and  he  was  nearly  alone  in  his  ])ic- 
tiu'esque  seclusion  ;  now  every  inch  of  the  adjacent  country  is  gardened  and 
villaed,  yet  all  so  charnungly  under  the  rose  that  it  is  like  the  discovering  of 
birds'  nests  among  the  foivstdeaves  to  jnirsne  e.\i)lorations.  The  al)sence  of 
di\  idiiig  walls,  and  the  deceptive,  elfish,  winding  walks  and  carriage-drives  lead 
you  constantly  astray ;  while  you  think  you  are  roaming  over  the  grounds  of 
one  estate,  you  suddenly  bring  u]i  among  the  flower-beds  of  another.  The 
edifice  is  delightfully  uniijue,  and  totally  unlike  any  othei'  home  in  Ainerit-a. 
Irving  si)eaks  of  it  as  l)eing  "  one  of  the  oldest  edifices  for  its  size  "  in  the  coun- 
try, "and,  though  of  small  dimensions,  yet,  like  many  small  ])eo])le  of  mighty 
spii'it,  valuing  itself  greatly  upon  its  anti(piity."  It  was  a  Dutch  cottage  which 
he  purchased  and  remodeled  into  a  captivating  abode.  It  is  cut  u])  into  odd, 
snug  little  rooms  and  boudoirs,  according  to  the  signs  of  ]U'omise  from  the 
peak-roofed  and  gal)le-enile(l  extei'ior.  The  eastern  side  of  the  house  is  over- 
gi'own  with  ivy  presented  to  Irving  l)y  Sir  Walter  Scott,  of  the  famous  sti>ck 
of  Melrose  Abbey. 

Snnn\side  is  like  a  place  bewitched  with  thrilling  memories  of  gi'eat  and 
gallant  deeils,  and  with  the  enchantment  of  song  and  story.  The  legends  so 
gracefully  woven  al)out  every  striking  feature  of  the  lovely  scene,  ovei-flow 
with  (|uaiiit  humor,  hariidess  superstition,  and  pensive  sentiment.  Irving's  pen- 
portraiture  of  the  })eaceful  valley,  whether  in  weii'd  fiction  or  poetic  history,  is 
as  singularly  tnitlifid  as  th.e  linisli  of  Albert  Bieistadt.  The  whole  bias  of 
Irving's  geniiis  was  artistic,  and  the  color  thi'own  into  his  pictures  is  indelil)le. 
AVhen  he  tells  us  that  Sleepy  Hollow  won  its  name  from  a  charm  laid  l)y  a 
rival  sachem  upon  its  oi-iginal  lords,  a  charm  so  potent  that  the  warriors  sleep 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


153 


to  this  day  among  its  rocks  and  recesses  with  their  bows  and  arrows  beside 
them,  we  can  hardly  resist  watching  for  their  waking.  As  for  Icliabod  Crane, 
who  has  not  made  his  acquaintance,  and,  becoming  interested  in  the  blooming 
Katrina,  been  shocked  with  the  setiuel— finding  it  difficult  to  be  persuaded  that 


'  Sunnyside,"    Home    of    Washington    Irving. 


these  personages  were  only  the  phantasies  of  the  brain  ?  And  where  is  the 
reader  who  has  not  thirsted  for  a  taste  of  cool  water  fi'om  the  mysterious 
spring  which  the  wife  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  region  brought  from 
Holland  in  a  churn  ?     Irving  says  she  took  it  up  in  the  night  fi-om  beside  their 


154  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

house  at  Rotterdam,  iinl)ekiio\vii  to  lici  lmsl)aiKl,  beinir  sure  .she  slmuld  find  no 
water  e([ual  to  it  in  the  new  country. 

Tlie  success  attending  the  republication  of  Irving's  writings  proves  the  per- 
maneut  value  of  a  clear,  direct,  simple,  and  natural  style.  His  felicities  of 
theme,  thought,  and  expression  have  won  for  him  a  place  in  national  affection 
which  can  never  be  superseded.  Literary  composition  was  usually  a  slo\v  and 
laborious  process  with  him.  "  The  Sketch-Book  "  contains  the  ^videst  variety 
of  examples,  touching  every  chord  of  feeling,  of  any  of  his  famous  Avorks. 
And  yet  nothing,  not  even  liis  irresistil)le  drollery,  was  da.shed  off  with  the 
traditional  How  of  genius ;  his  was  the  laborious  though  unseen  art  Avhich  con- 
ceals art. 

Sunnysidc,  Iioth  iii  unity  and  detail,  was  in  its  palmy  (hiys  a  stiikiiig  rcfU'X 
of  Irving's  character,  and  it  might  almo.st  be  said  of  liis  physiijuc  and  manner. 
Its  modest  ]>roportions  accorded  with  the  figure,  erect  and  liealthful,  which 
scarcely  reached  the  middle  stature  of  manhood.  Its  dignified  air,  its  mis- 
chievous hiding-places,  its  dreamy  stillness  while  apparently  full  of  thouglit,  its 
pretty  fancies  and  surprises,  its  unconscious  way  of  observing  all  things  far  and 
near  w'hile  apparently  in  remotest  seclusion,  its  reserve  without  coldness,  creat- 
ing instinctively  a  respectful  deference,  and  its  twists,  turns,  and  vagaries,  were 
in  harmony  w'ith  the  freshness  and  fullness  of  invention,  intlividuality  of  con- 
ception, honest  maidiness  of  thought,  and  whimsical  yet  refined  and  delicate 
humoi-s  of  its  illustrious  master. 

Nai)oleon  III.  was  at  one  time  a  visitor  to  Sunnvside,  and  Daniel  AVebster 
Avas  some  days  a  guest  in  1842,  bearing  Irving's  appointment  and  credentials  as 
Minister  to  Spain. 

U])on  one  of  the  l)illowy  I'idges  in  the  mvstic  precincts  of  Ii'vington  stands 
tlu'  imposing  mansion  of  John  Earle  Williams,  a  pictures(iue  structure  by  no 
means  discordant  with  the  well-balanced  irregularity  of  the  landsca))e,  though 
of  somewhat  erratic  architecture.  It  sug<;ests  alnrnt  e(iually  tiie  Elizabethan 
cottage,  the  (lotliic  lodge,  and  the  Swiss  chalet.  It  was  bnilt  by  a  geiitleni.-iii 
who  was  killeil  by  lightning  while  standing  in  the  front  door,  and  was  after- 
ward improved  l)y  Mr.  Williams.  An  ingenious  architect  has  wrought  tlie  com- 
bination with  excellent  effect,  and  no  incongruity  appears.     The  granite  con- 


MODERJSr  PERIOD. 


155 


struction  has  the  aspect  of  great  durability  and  strength.  The  grounds  of  tlie 
mansion  slope  from  woods  in  the  rear  to  a  wide  expanse  of  field  inclosed  by  a 
lo^r  granite  \vall,  while  near  the  house  flowers  blossom  from  tasteful  beds,  and 
choice  shi-ubbeiy  is  nui-tured  tenderly. 

The  first  impression  given  by  the  edifice  is  a  mass  of  turrets,  points,  and 


J-^I 

>i*-^ 

^^ 

if- 

Residence    of    John     Earle    Williams,     Irvington. 


eaves— an  old  Warwick  cottage  modernized  and  Americanized,  for  instance, 
M^th  a  mild  trace  of  the  peaked  turrets  ..f  Normandy  thrown  in.  The  front 
of  the  house  is  highest  at  the  southwest  corner,  the  walls  and  the  I'oof  almost 
equally  dividing  the  altitude.  The  outlook  from  eveiy  window  and  fi-om  eveiy 
point  of  the  grounds  includes  a  series  of  lieautiful  landscapes  of  the  river  and 


15G  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

its  environs;  the  Tapjian  Zee,  tlie  hazy  town  of  Nyack,  \s\\\\  its  roofs  silvered 
by  the  sun,  and  the  frownini;  Palisa<les  ehantriuij  in  hue  as  the  spells  of  cloud 
and  sunshine  vary.  Each  Avindow  is  indeed  the  frame  of  a  picture  in  which 
Nature  expresses  hei-self,  and  obN-iates  the  great  master's  art — expresses  herself 
not  only  in  one  key  alone,  but  in  all  her  variety  of  moods,  and  esjiecially  those 
that  are  lovely. 

The  interior  is  the  embodiment  of  refined  cHimiion  sciist'.  Its  drawing- 
rooms,  sitting-rooms,  bedrooms,  dressing-rooms,  and  i)lay-rooms  are  all  inexpres- 
sibly cheery  and  radiant  with  the  spii"it  of  domestic  life.  They  are  richly  fur- 
nished and  decorated,  but  elegance  is  subordinate  to  comfort  and  utility.  It  is 
essentially  a  home. 

The  entrance-hall  is  spacious,  and  liuished  in  oak,  pine,  aiul  walnut,  the  iloor 
uncovered  except  by  mats  and  a  few  skins.  An  old  and  exceedingly  handsome 
cabinet -clock  of  foreign  handiwork  stands  opposite  the  door,  and  a  few  elegant 
vases  are  distributed  among  the  cornel's.  The  principal  sitting-room  is  finished 
in  butternut  elaborately  carved,  and  upholstered  in  warm,  bright,  suitable 
colore.  A  little  retiring-room  is  called  the  "  GrowleiT."  Long,  rambling  ]vi.s- 
sage-ways  lead  everywhere  and  nowhere,  and  are  most  delightfidly  bewildering. 
Art-treasures  are  variously  disposed  through  the  house,  including  works  of  R, 
Swain  Gilford,  Eastman  Johnson,  Colraan,  Keusett,  and  other  Aniei'ican  artists, 
with  one  genuine  Salvator  Rosa. 

In  this  romance-inspiring  atmosphere  of  historical  incident  is  the  summer 
residence  of  Cyrus  West  Field,  the  projector  of  the  Atlantic  Cable.  The 
mansion  was  built  by  John  A.  Stewart,  President  of  the  United  States  Trust 
Company,  and  without  any  striking  peculiarities  is  a  good  example  of  a  class 
of  substantial  American  homes  which  embellish  the  continent.  The  situation 
is  exceptionally  attractive.  The  river  here  seems  like  a  thing  of  life,  and  the 
echo  of  wonder  that  rang  through  these  hills  from  the  prow  of  the  adventurous 
craft  which  first  stirred  its  Avaters  two  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago  seems 
tossing  along  its  beating  bosom,  ringing  more  audibly  now  than  then  as  the 
dweller  upon  its  charmed  shore  commands  the  lightning  to  convey  his  morning 
salutations  to  friends  in  London,  Paris,  or  any  other  portion  of  the  Old  \\\)rld. 
The  name  and  the  fame  of  C}Tiis  W.  Field  have  gone  to  the  remotest  comere 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


157 


of  the  earth.  He  not  only  succeeded,  after  thirteen  years  of  unceasing  labor 
and  two  disheartening  failures,  in  stretching  the  electric  cable  from  one  conti- 
nent to  the  other,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  person  fifty  times  during  the  period, 
but  he  has  since  been  actively  interested  in  establishing  telegraphic  communica- 


Residence    of    Cyrus    West    Field,     Irvington. 


tion  between  Eiirope,  India,  China,  Australia,  and  \A\h  the  West  Indies  and 
South  America.  He  is  a  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Da\4d  D.  Field,  of  Stockbridge, 
Massachusetts,  at  which  ])lace  he  was  born  in  1819. 

Crowning  conspicuously  a  steep,  grassy  lawn  upon  a  picturesque  height  two 
or  three  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Hudson,  in  Tarrytown,  Just  north 


158 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


of  Irviiiijtoii,  i^s  an  iinposiiiLT  dwelling:  of  jteouliar  aivliitt'ctui'c,  known  to  tlie 
inliabitaiits  thereabouts  as  "  The  Castle."  Its  site  would  have  been  well  chosen 
foi-  the  old  feudal  or  castellated  architectural  style  which  prevailed  so  generally 
in  foreign  countries  at  periods  when  the  necessity  existed  for  private  fortifica- 


•Tlic  C.1S.11U,  ■    Uct^idence   of   Willi, 


13.    Hatch,   Tarrytowr 


tions ;  and  in  its  elements  of  structural  solidity  it  compares  favorably  with  its 
prototypes  in  older  countries  than  Amei'ica.  Indeed,  what  it  lacks  in  associa- 
tion and  tradition  is  more  than  com]>ensated  foi'  by  the  niaLrniticence  of  its  loca- 
tion, which  the  fairest  views  on  tlic  Rliinc  or  in  the  IliLclilaiids  of  Scothmd  do 
not  excel.  It  is  always  visible  from  the  river,  and  is  a  notable  landmark  to 
touiists  traveling  bv  steamer,  but  in  summer  it  is  completely  liidden  by  a  pi'o- 
fusion  of  foliage  from  tlit-  village  below. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


159 


This  mansion  is  literally  kindred  to  the  earth  and  elements,  the  building- 
stone  having  been  quarried  from  the  rocky  soil  upon  which  it  stands.  The 
walls  have  a  uniform  thickness  of  twenty-six  inches,  the  stone  having  been  all 
fitted  to  seem  irregular,  presenting  an  extraordinary  degree  of  elegance ;  the 
portico,  which  is  revealed  in  the  sketch,  is  of  heavy  granite,  and  one  of  the 
finest  in  America.     It  was  projected  in  1859  by  John  T.  Herrick,  a  wealthy 


'The    Castle"    at    Niylit. 


flour-merchant,  since  which  time  over  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  have  been 
expended  upon  it,  and  with  such  exceptional  taste  that  it  is  an  object  of  beauty 
as  well  as  princely  grandeur. 

The  house  fronts  the  south,  and  measiu-es  from  end  to  end  about  a  hundred 


|,;o  THE    HOMES    OF  AMEIilCA. 

and  eiifhty  feet,  exclusive  of  balconies.  The  main  entrance  Icaiis  into  an  im- 
mense hall,  eleven  feet  wide,  twenty-six  feet  long,  and  forty  feet  hi<,di,  opening 
on  the  first  floor,  where  are  situated  the  main  apartments.  The  parlor  is  round, 
and  its  handsomely  frescoed  ceiling'  is  supported  liy  trroined  arches,  iiradiatiug 
in  the  Gothic  style  from  a  cluster  of  twelve  pillai-s  in  the  center ;  and  three 
alcove-windows  look  nortlnvard,  southward,  and  westward  upon  the  incompar- 
able prospect  from  (roti^n  Point  to  the  sharp  escarpment  of  the  Palisades  with 
their  al)utmeuts  of  detritus.  There  is  a  charming  reception-room  upon  one 
side  of  the  entrance-hall,  and  a  billiard-room  upon  the  other.  The  dining-room 
is  a  stately  apartment  measui-ing  twenty-two  tVet  by  nineteen,  exclusive  of  a 
bay-window  which  is  eight  feet  deep  and  fifteen  wide,  and  looks  upon  a.s  lovely 
a  view  as  ever  l)lessed  mortal  sight.  It  is  furnished  in  solid  carved  oak  and 
green  morocco.  The  breakfast-room,  with  its  dianioud-pane  windows  and  at- 
mosphere of  cozy  warmth,  is  a  gentle  reminder  of  the  sedate  (piiet  and  comfort 
of  an  old  English  hall.  The  library  opens  from  the  dining-room,  and  the 
smoking-room  opens  appropriately  from  the  library  ;  and  the  \nne-cellars  on 
the  basement  floor  open  through  doors  with  hollow  ])auels  ingeniously  devised 
to  hold  cigars  and  tol)acco.  The  modern  furnace  sends  hospitable  warmth  into 
every  room,  each  fui'nished,  however,  with  an  open  grate  in  addition  to  the  fui- 
nace-radiator,  the  mantels  being  all  of  separate  ])atterns  and  material,  one  of 
the  most  uni(jue  being  of  lilack  petrified  wood,  the  grain  of  which  is  seen  in 
veins  of  yellow  and  ]iiiik.  The  hoiise  and  views  culminate  in  a  grand  tower 
sixty-five  feet  from  the  ground,  commanding  on  a  clear  day  an  uninterruiited 
stretch  of  forty  or  fifty  miles  of  landscape  beauties  of  eveiy  variety  comi)re- 
bended  in  the  panoi'aiua.  The  approach  to  "The  Castle"  is  sufficiently  wide 
to  di'ive  six  carriages  abrea.st. 

The  hills  of  Tarryfown  are  )>lanted  with  villas  many  of  which  are 
mar\'els  of  beauty,  surrounded  as  they  are  with  lawnas  and  gardens,  and 
adorned  in  eveiy  manner  which  wealth  can  afford  and  fancy  suggest.  The 
town  is  an  ancient  burgh,  mossed  and  licluMicd  with  traditions  and  histori- 
cal reminiscences.  Irving  says,  "  There  is  a  stoiy  that  in  the  olden  time  its 
name  was  given  to  it  l)y  the  good  house\nves  of  the  adjacent  country  from 
the  inveterate  propensity  of  their  husbands  to  linger  about  the  village  tavern 


MODERN   PERIOD. 


161 


on  market-days."     Thus  even  its  ancient  attractions  are  in  a  certain  sense  im- 
mortalized. 

About  two  miles  to  the  north  of  "  The  Castle  "  is  a  pretty  detached  villa 
which  was  formerly  o\\iied  and  occupied  by  General  Fremont.     It  ^vas  erected 


Former    Residence    of    General    Fremont,    Tarrytown. 


by  General  James  Watson  Webb,  United  States  Minister  to  Brazil  for  several 
years,  who  after  dwelling  here  for  a  time  sold  the  property  to  its  later  militaiy 
master.  It  is  of  a  pleasing  though  unpretentious  order  of  architectm-e,  and  a 
fair  specimen  of  the  suburban  home.  The  exterior  ornamentation  is  of  wood, 
which  is  used  lavishly.     Fine  old  forest-trees  encroach  lovingly  upon  the  bal- 


162  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

cony,  shading  the  house  on  the  brightest  clay.  The  grounds  are  i)icturesquely 
uneven,  and  tlie  \iew  (juite  as  beguiling  as  that  of  otlier  points  of  the  same 
altitude  in  the  vicinity. 

Kockwood,  the  beautiful  home  of  the  late  AVilliam  H.  Aspinwall,  near  Tar- 
lytown,  challenges  comparison  witli  the  l>est  homes  of  any  country.  It  may 
not  boast  of  an  avenue  of  trees  ciidiiii:'  in  a  Gothic  chuirh  which  dates  back 
five  hundred  years,  as  is  the  privilege  of  the  demesne  of  the  Manjuis  of  West- 
minster at  Eaton  Ilall,  who  enjoys  a  fortune  which  has  been  carefully  nui-sed 
for  him  since  the  days  of  William  the  Conqueror,  but  it  is  a  noble  villa-estate, 
and  would  be  esteemed  worthy  of  a  distinguished  place  even  in  England 
among  those  of  the  opident  gentry  Avhich  have  been  rijiening  for  centu- 
ries. It  stands  in  a  park  of  about  two  hundred  acres,  witli  a  front  of  a 
mile  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson,  and  two  lodges  and  entrance-gates  u])on  the 
road. 

The  structiu-e  has  an  extremely  castellated  aiiiicaraiicc,  and  iciiiinds  tlie 
traveler  fresh  from  the  lihine  of  those  majestic  c^utliues  witli  which  the  hand 
of  man  has  crowned  Nature's  charming  heights  in  that  part  of  the  world.  It 
is  built  of  gneiss  of  two  shades,  the  walls  being  of  cold  gray,  while  the  sills 
and  chimneys  are  of  a  wann  dark  gray.  It  is  in  the  latest  style  of  English 
Gothic  architecture,  having  perpendicular  traceries  in  the  windows,  and  other 
fine  peculiarities  of  that  order.  It  ^vas  designed  by  an  English  architect,  and 
is  not  only  a  fine  specimen  of  mechanical  skill,  but  a  work  of  art  and 
architectural  propriety.  The  eastern  front  is  one  hundred  and  forty  feet 
in  length,  flanked  by  a  grand  towei-  eighty  feet  high,  twenty-eight  feet 
square,  and  is  lighted  by  richly  decorated  windows  in  every  story.  Tliis 
front  is  otherwise  diversified  hy  the  carrlage-]iorch  mantled  with  ivy,  and 
the  bay-window  of  a  ddiLilitfid  sitting-room  wliiili  I'ises  to  the  whole  height 
of  the  house,  and  which  is  also  pierced  by  liandsomc  windows.  Beyond  the 
main  building  tlie  connecting  range  extends  for  a  heiglit  of  two  stories, 
and  tliis  is  again  tlank('(l  on  tlie  iKH-thcrly  end  liy  the  \nng  three  stories 
high.  The  other  fronts  of  tlic  house  architecturally  correspond  with  the 
one  described. 

The    drawing-room   is   liglited   with   two  bay-windows;  the  ceiling  is  pan- 


MODERN   PERIOD. 


163 


l«-4 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


elrtl  with  walnut. 
and  has  appit)- 
priate  designs  in 
the  panels  paint- 
ed expressly  for 
Mr.  Aspinwall  in 
Paris.  Tlie  li- 
1  >rai'}'  is  abuut 
twenty  by  thii-ty 
feet  in  size,  and 
its  somber,  rich 
beauty  is  beyond 
the  reach  of  pen. 
It  is  finished  \vith 
walnut  bookcases, 
the  ceiling  richly  paneled  -with  the 
same  wood,  the  ground  painted  in 
fi'esco  of  a  deep-ljlue  coloi'  orna- 
mented Avith  gilt  rosettes ;  the  f  ui-- 
niture  is  Gothic,  and  of  the  finest 
character.  Tlie  jii-incijial  stairway  nius  at  right 
angles  to  tin-  liall,  and  is  elaborately  finished  in 
the  Gothic  style  \\\i\\  carved  balustrade.  The 
dining-room  is  even  larger  than  the  library,  and  is  handsomely  dressed  in 
oak  to  coiTespond  witli  the  library  and  draw  ing-room ;  it  has  a  large  bay- 
window  which  connects  with  the  butler's  pantry  by  a  concealed  door.  A 
billiard-room  inclosed  in  glass  extends  on  the  west  front  across  the  dining-room 
and  hall. 

Under  the  generous  rule  of  Mr.  Aspinwall,  the  lawai,  which  is  remark- 
able for  the  variety  and  l)eauty  of  its  surface,  and  for  the  fine  specimens 
of  trees  with  wliicli  it  is  covered,  received  exceptional  attention  and  care. 
The  gi-eeidiouses  are  extensive,  and  an  ai)]iarently  illimitable  forest  extends 
to  the  noith  and  east.  The  media'val  winch nvs,  the  carefully  masked  chim- 
neys,   and    the    grand     and    lofty    tower,     produi'f    an    exceedingly    English 


Rockwood,    from    the    South. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


165 


effect.     The  great  size  of  the  dwelling,  together  with  its  elevated  position, 
and  its  extensive   outlook,  renders  it  one  of  the  most  striking  and  effective 


Lodge    at    Roekwood. 


in  the  country.     The  lodge,  which  we  illustrate,  with  its  handsome  gateway^ 
and  vases  filled  with  cactus,  is  a  pleasing  feature  of  the  place. 

In  contrast  with  the  baronial  elegance  of  Roekwood,  Idlewild,  the  pictu- 
resque home  of  N.  P.  Willis,  might  be  likened  to  an  exquisite  poem,  or,  in  the 
author's  o^vn  words,  "  to  a  wise  man's  inner  life  illustrated  and  set  to  music." 
The  site  was  little  more  than  a  craggy  wilderness  ra\'iue — "  the  bed  of  a  way- 
ward torrent  " — when  it  first  came  under  the  notice  of  Mr.  Willis.  He  writes  : 
"  As  I  fell  in  love  with  it,  and  thought  of  making  a  home  amid  the  tangle  of 
mountains,  my  first  int^uiry  as  to  its  price  was  met  with  the  disparaging  remark 


16(3 


THE    HOMES    OE  AMERICA. 


that  it  was  of  little  value;  only  an  idle  wild  witli  wliic-li  iiotliiiiir  whatever 
could  lie  (lone;  and  that  description  of  it  stuck  captivatiiiirly  in  my  memory — 
idle  wild!  i.llc  wild  V 

It  is  about  sixty  miles  above  New  York,  and  just  be\-ond  the  irraud  forges 


'  Idlewild,"    Residence    of    the    Inte    N.     P.    Willis. 


of  the  Highlands,  near  where  Newburg  Bay  stretches  itself  out  for  a  naj)  in 
the  sun.  It  is  perched  two  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  majestic  river  seen  in 
the  distance,  and  looks  along  and  into  deep  glens  where  the  w\V\  bi-ooklet 
dances  and  leai)s  in  nuid  mirth,  and  over  the  roofs  of  the  little  village  of  Corn- 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


167 


wall  beloAv  into  the  weird  shadows  of  the  Highland  Pass.  The  house  is  of  the 
Gothic  order  of  architecture,  with  certain  variations  for  picturesque  effect ;  it  is 
built  of  brick,  and  painted  yellow.  It  abounds  in  gables  and  pinnacles,  oriel- 
Aviudows  and  piazzas,  and  it  is  so  well  fitted  among  the  evergreens  as  to  secure 
a  whole  gallery  of  scenic  pictures  from  the  world  below.  In  designing  his 
home  Mr.  Willis  was  more  interested  in  accommodating  the  stnicture  to  the 
fancies  of  his  genius  than  in  studying  architectural  angles.  It  represents  two 
lives,  as  it  were,  "  one  in  full  view,  which  the  world  thinks  all ;  and  the  life 
out  of  sight,  of  which  the  world  knows  nothing.  You  see  its  fi-ont  porch  from 
the  thronged  thoroughfare  of  the  Hudson  ;  but  the  grove  behind  it  overhangs 
a  deep-down  glen,  tracked  but  by  my  own  tangled  paths  and  the  wild  torrents 
whicli  they  by  turns  avoid  and  follow — a  solitude  in  which  the  hourly  hun- 
dreds of  swift  travelers  who  pass  within  echo-distance  effect  not  the  stii-ring  of 
a  leaf."  Thus  -wi-ote  the  poet  from  his  own  especial  sanctum,  a  miracle  of  bou- 
doir enchantment,  a  study  into  which  few  were  permitted  to  enter,  and  where 
he  concocted  his  thunder  or  wove  his  spells  to  bemtch  the  great  human 
family. 

The  whole  interior  of  Idlemld  was  free  from  frescoes  or  carved  moldino-s  • 
but  dainty  pictures  and  choice  treasures  in  marble  and  bronze,  mantel,  and 
bracket,  and  table,  spoke  of  the  wealth  of  taste  rather  than  the  poverty  of 
means  which  eschewed  superfluous  ornamentation.  Books  were  everywhere, 
for  "Willis  was  a  reader,  even  though  he  made  the  world  around  him — its  physi- 
cal beauty,  its  feeling  and  action — his  chief  study,  and  daily  life  his  library 
and  teacher. 

The  modest  little  edifice,  ^vith  stately  air  in  its  exalted  position,  stands  upon 
the  verge  of  a  broad  la-wn  in  the  midst  of  a  domain  of  seventy  acres,  the  path- 
ways, drives,  and  entrance-gate  all  fashioned  by  the  same  artistic  mind  and  in 
sweet,  unconscious  harmony  with  the  other  features  of  Idlewild.  It  ^^ossesses 
to  a  marked  degree  the  characteristics  of  its  projector,  the  magnetic  influence, 
fancifxil  vagaries,  and  eccentricities  growing  from  a  singularly  unique  and  origi- 
nal style,  and  yet  ever  under  control,  and  never  overstepping  the  pale  of  well- 
balanced  Judgment.  The  writings  of  WilKs  were,  indeed,  like  the  bubbling 
outspring  of  a  natui-al  fountain  which  flows  cheerfully  and  freely  if  it  flows  at 
all.     His  powers  were  not  lessened  by  physical  fatigue,  and  he  never  repeated 


168 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


himself;  l^ut  his  fancy,  like  a  prism,  tunietl  every  lay  of  litrht  it  encountered 
with  a  point  and  force  (juick  and  dazzlinsf  as  the  liglitning,  and  as  if  liy  magic 
he  invariably  led  his  readei"s  and  admirei-s  captive. 


.^->i-'-^J'- 


"  Claverhurst,"    Summer    Residence    of        -^      -^^^r^  jfe '  jr*^  J(y 
Miss    Clara    Louise     Kellogg.  ^    .'    .v-'j"  ,'^'.  .*5v,,.V 


Claverhurst,    the    siunnier   home    of    the   world-iv- 
nowned  nightingale,  Miss  Clai-a  Louise  Kellogg,  is  em- 
bowered   appi-o]iriately  in  trees,  and    is  mostly  jiiazza, 
which  shows  that,  like  all  birds,  its  fair  occupant  hn-es  the  oi.cn  air. 
cozy  nest,  "built  to  imisie,"  and  by  music,  ami  is  properly  haniiuuioiis 
detail.     Situated  in  a  serenely  (juiet  nook  on  the  banks  of  the    Ilud 
Cold  Spring,  it  is  a  bower  of  beauty,  and,  like  the  life  of  the  fauKMi 
artist,  without  spot  or  l.leiuish.     Miss  Kellogg  was  born  in  South 


P: 

It 

is  a 

;  in  e 

\-ery 

Ison, 

near 

IS  nui 

sieal 

Can 

>lina. 

MODERN  PERIOD. 


169 


though  of  Northern  parentage  and  ancestiy.  Her  father  is  a  man  of  remark- 
able ingenuity  in  mechanical  invention;  her  mother  possesses  imusual  gifts 
in  music,  also  a  talent  mth  the  pencil,  and  even  skill  in  the  cutting  of  cameos. 
Clara  Louise  is  theii-  only  child.  When  she  was  a  year  old  they  removed  to 
New  Haven,  Connecticut,  ^vhere  they  resided  fifteen  years,  and  then  removed  to 
New  York  City.  The  maiden's  musical  genius  was  soon  known  and  appre- 
ciated ;  but  her  energy  and  intense  industry  in  obtaining  her  musical  education 
learning  at  the  same  time  the  French  and  Italian  languages,  contributed  more 


Lodge    at    "  Claverhurst.' 


to  her  subsequent  successful  career  than  even  her  passion  for  art.  She  is 
severely  conscientious  as  an  artist,  and  ardently  enthusiastic,  which,  together 
with  a  well-trained  and  retentive  memoiy,  and  a  voice  of  great  compass  and 
purity,  has  rendered  her  a  favorite  everywhere,  and  her  Avomanly  worth  and 
loveliness  of  character  invest  her  picturesque  cottage  with  exceptional  interest. 


The  home  of  the  late  Hon.  H.  G.  Eastman,  at  Poughkeepsie,  is  a  handsome 
Italian  villa,  embracing  several  charming  rooms,  a  picture-gallery,  and  a  grand 
saloii,  which  can  be  made  very  stately  in  effect  when  the  owner  chooses.     The 


170 


77//;    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


grounds  are  literally  a  handsome  park,  liiiii<1reds  of  evergreens  and  olioice  trees 
having  been  planted  and   nmirished  until  the  ]»lantation  lias  (juite  an  ancient 


«»:« 


Residence    of    the    late     H.     G.    Eastmnn.     Poughkeepsie. 


appearance.  The  wliite-marhle  gate-posts  and  outlines  to  fountains  were 
brought  from  the  marbh'-(|uarnes  in  Vermont.  One  fountain  with  thirty-eight 
jets  oniamciits  the  lower  liuundary  of  the  park,  ami  gold-lish  swim  in  the  basin. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


171 


Bii'ds  from  Florida  are  domesticated  amoug  the  trees,  and  fill  the  aviary  in  the 
gi'ounds. 

The  lawn  is  nine  acres  in  extent,  and  a  miracle  of  greenness  for  the  diy 
climate — a  fact  which  Mr.  Eastman  attributed  to  his  having  brought  the  sod 
fi'om  swamps,  with  about  two  inches  of  the  local  soil  attached.  The  domain  is 
surroimded  bj*  a  stone  waB,  mth  marble  coping  two  thousand  feet  in  lenoih. 
In  summer  Mr.  Eastman  was  wont  to  throw  his  park  open  to  the  public,  and 
provide  musical  entertainments ;  in  winter  he  was  equally  hospitable  ^vith  his 
fine  skating-grounds.  He  declared  that  he  never  had  the  slightest  injuiy  done 
his  property — not  a  flower  plucked  or  an  apple  stolen — through  this  open- 
handed  generosity,  a  pleasing  proof  of  the  -wisdom  of  confidence. 

Bounding  one  side  of  this  park  Mr.  Eastman  built  a  row  of  houses  in  the 
English  Renaissance  style,  of  Philadelphia  pressed  brick,  with  Ohio-stone  cop- 
ings, wliile  ii'on  was  used  for  the  Mansard  roofs.  It  is  called  "  Eastman  Ter- 
race." In  the  outer  and  interior  decorations  illuminated  tile  was  em2:)loyed  ;  an 
iron  image  of  the  Sphinx  adorns  the  entrance  to  the  terrace,  which,  could  she 
solve  the  riddle  for  which  we  have  so  long  waited,  would  hardly  tell  a  more 
curious  story  than  this  of  a  countiy  place  having  in  eight  years  become  so  like 
what  in  older  countries  it  would  have  taken  fifty  or  more  years  to  accom- 
plish. Mr.  Eastman  was  an  admirable  type  of  the  self-made  American ;  his 
wealth  was  won  by  his  own  hands,  and  his  public  spii-it  j)ut  him  in  the  van  of 
all  projects  for  the  improvement  and  adoi-nment  of  his  native  city.  He  was 
for  several  years  Mayor  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  enjoyed  at  all  times  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

Massena,  the  home  of  John  Aspinwall,  is  a  stately  mansion,  built  originally 
for  John  E.  Livingston.  The  design  Avas  by  Brunei,  an  exact  copy  of  the  cha- 
teau of  Beaumarchais,  in  France.  In  architectural  symmetry  it  is  imsurpassed. 
A  costly  and  heavy  succession  of  arcades  around  the  piazza  give  the  whole  edi- 
fice an  effect  as  striking  as  it  is  dignified  and  pleasing.  The  great  entrance-hall 
opens  into  the  library,  which  is  octagonal  in  fonn,  in  the  center  of  the  building ; 
it  was  once  a  bilHard-room  with  a  dome,  still  defined  from  without  by  a  tower 
and  cupola.  Livingston  sacrificed  the  dome  in  order  to  multiply  upper  bed- 
rooms, but  the  room  is  veiy  handsome  and  well  proportioned  as  it  is,  and  far 


17-2 


TIIK    HOMES     OF   AMEKKA. 


more  comfortable  than  liefore.  It  is  furnished  \vitli  taivcd  lilack-walimt  book- 
cases and  a  hirge,  carved  black-wahiut  mantel-piece  and  cliinnu'v-iilacc,  in  the 
ample  sjiace  of  which  a  wood-tire  blazes  on  winter  nights. 

The  library  opens  to  the  west  into  the  glass-room,  or  piipjtctinii,  illustrated 


■  I'^iiiiif  ^' ■ ;" 


'  Mnssena,"     Barrytown. 


separately,  wliich  stands  ont  like  a  temple,  with  its  aivlied  windows,  and  forms 
a  chaiTning  feature  of  the  establishment.  Here  flowers  are  the  principal  orna- 
ment. Hanging  baskets  filled  with  smilax  and  lyco]iodinm  are  suspended  be- 
tween the  arches,  and  etageres  of  plants  stand  all  about.     A  miniature  fountain 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


173 


cools  the  air  iu  summer,  and  gold-fishes  float  contentedly  in  a  pretty  marble 
basin.  The  view  tlu'ough  the  arches  is  superb — looking  down  over  the  terrace 
and  front  lawn  to  the  river,  which  at  this  point  is  very  wide  and  beautiful — 
the  Catskill  Mountains  showing  in  the  distance.  Cniger's  Island  and  Magda- 
len's Island  produce  in  the  Hudson  just  below  the  effect  of  a  succession  of  lakes. 
The  picture  is  simply  enchanting. 

From  the  library  also  open  the  drawing-rooms,  both  of  which  are  of  large, 
eleo-ant,  and  tasteful  proportions,  and  the  dining-room,  which  is  wainscoted 
heavily  with  black  walnut,  the  ceiHng  frescoed  in  sea-green  and  gold.     Many 


Glass-Room 


works  of  art  collected  by  the  late  Mr.  Aspiuwall  in  Europe  adorn  the  walls, 
among  them  being  a  genuine  Greuze.  Richly  cai-ved  furniture  and  buhl  cabi- 
nets give  to  this  room  an  appearance  of  great  luxury.  Vases  filled  mth  rare 
exotics  are  scattered  over  the  house  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  iu  due  succession, 
each  season  contributing  its  peculiar  treasures. 

The  edifice  is  about  a  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  length.  It  is  built  of  wood 
inlaid  with  stone.  The  grounds  are  extensive,  and  embellished  with  a  thick 
gi'owth  of  native  forest-trees.  Large  masses  of  rock  are  also  to  be  seen  here 
and  there  adorned  mth  mosses  and  ferns.     The  lawn  is  exceedingly  handsome 


174 


Till-:   HOMES    OF  AMKRICA. 


and  extensive,  affording  a  suggestive  exanijilc  d'  landscape  gardening;  sheep 
may  be  seen  grazing  at  intervals,  altliougli  the  gra.ss  is  ke[)t  trimmed  ^vitll  scru- 


Lodge 


id    Gale    al 


pulous  care.  Tlie  line  trees  are  protected  from  injuiy  l)y  liiii'dles,  and  order 
and  method  prevail  on  every  side. 

The  lodge  at  the  entrance-gate  of  Massena  is  a  pretty  CJothic  cottage  of 
stone,  very  complete  in  its  appointments,  itself  a  handsome  residence.  The 
gate  is  of  iron,  Avith  gray-stone  pillare,  and  the  can-iage-drive  smoothly  grav- 
eled. There  are  two  approaches  to  the  mansion,  of  Avhicli  the  most  beau- 
tiful is  a  mooted  question. 

Mrs.  Aspinwall  has  recently  erected  a  memorial  chapel  on  her  land  for  the 
use  of  the  poor,  and  also  a  parish  school.  The  spii'e  of  the  little  chapel  is  seen 
through  the  trees  from  the  house,  and  is  not  unlike  the  picturesque  spires  that 
abound  tluoughout  tlie  Austrian  Tyrol.  The  name  Massena  was  given  to  the 
estate  by  Mr.  Livingston  in  honor  of  Mai-shal  Massena,  during  the  French  con- 
sulate. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


175 


Home    of    Frederick    E.    Church. 


Frederick  E.  Chiircli,  the  distinguished-landscape  painter,  after  carefully 
studying  the  shores  of  the  beautiful  river,  selected  a  site  for  his  home  upon  a 
hiU  nearly  six  himdred  feet  in  elevation,  some  three  miles  below  the  city  of 
Hudson,  opposite  Catskill.     His  cultivated  artistic  eye  hit  upon  a  point  where 


17(i 


77//;    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


the  glories  of  tlu-  Hudson  may  almost  be  said  to  have  culmiuated.  In  the 
deep  valley  Hoavs  the  river  between  high  and  wooded  l)anks.  To  the  south  it 
suddenly  broadens  to  a  ^\^dth  of  two  miles,  forming  a  beautiful  lake  with  pic- 
turesque shores.  Here  is  the  grandest  and  most  impressive  view  of  the  Cats- 
kill  ^louutains.  In  the  distance  rise  various  mountain-chains,  including  the 
HighUinds  at  West  Point,  sixty  miles  away.  At  the  east  is  a  long,  meadow- 
like valley  forming  the  base  of  Blue  Hill,  a  mountain  of  eight  or  nine  hundred 
feet  elevation,  and  about  two  miles  distant,  beyond  which  is  the  Taghanic 
Range,  partly  in  Connecticut  and  partly  in  Massachusetts.  At  the  north  the 
river  reappears,  divided  by  Mount  Meiino ;  on  the  east  bank  lies  the  city  of 
Hudson ;  on  the  Avest,  Athens.  A  glimpse  of  the  nver  is  seen  near  Albany, 
and  beyond  lie  the  more  southern  mountains  of  Vermont.  A  variety  of  hill- 
forms  and  small  bodies  of  water  give  striking  variety  to  the  great  panorama. 


View    from    the    Gt-ounds    of    Mr.    Church's    Hesidence 


The  house  is  built  in  the  Peisian  style,  so  far  as  our  climate  and  require- 
ments permit.  The  walls,  two  and  a  half  feet  thick,  are  constructed  of  some 
rough  stones,  Avhich  are  beautiful  in  color  and  (juarried  on  the  jilace.  The  cut- 
work  is  partly  of  liglit  l)rown-stone  imd  partly  of  blue-stone.     Tlie  upper  part 


MODERN  PERIOD.  177 

of  the  principal  tower  is  constructed  of  red,  yellow,  and  black  bricks,  arranged 
in  characteristic  patterns.  These  bricks  are  introduced  elsewhei'e  in  the  main 
structure,  in  order  to  produce  a  pleasing  variety  of  color,  as  also  an  effect  like 
mosaic-work.  The  main  doorway,  of  light  brown-stone,  has  a  border  of  mosaic 
tiles.  The  cornices,  which  are  veiy  bold,  are  richly  painted  in  colors  and  gold, 
the  designs  being  conformable  to  the  style  of  the  house.  The  roofs  are  covered 
with  green,  red,  and  black  slates,  arranged  in  appropriate  and  elaborate  pat- 
terns, relieved  by  a  few  gilt  slates. 

The  main  feature  of  the  interior  is  a  large  central  coui"t  or  hall,  cruciform, 
which  opens  into  various  rooms.  The  picture-galleiy,  with  a  ceiling  eighteen 
feet  high,  permits  the  introduction  of  fom*  lofty  windows  to  the  north,  giving 
an  even  and  admirable  light.  The  partitions  throughout  the  house  are  of  solid 
masomy,  and,  as  the  house  is  fixed  on  the  firm  rock,  strength  and  durability 
are  gained  seldom  to  be  found  in  our  domestic  architecture. 

Mr.  Church  designed  the  house  himself  in  all  its  details,  consulting  with 
Mr.  Vaux,  the  eminent  architect.  The  building  is  certainly  very  unique,  and 
is  wholly  an  individual  structure,  departing  distinctly  from  precedents  in 
America. 

Among  the  many  beautiful  homes  in  and  about  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
"  Armsmear,"  the  villa  of  Samuel  Colt,  the  world-renowned  inventor,  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting.  It  is  situated  about  half  a  mile  from  the  city,  upon  the 
shore  of  the  mild  and  lovely  Connecticut — a  river  which  in  its  quiet  windings 
through  sunny  valleys  offers  striking  contrasts  to  the  region  of  the  Hudson. 
The  site  of  the  Colt  property  was  originally  a  low  meadow  overflowed  by  the 
river  at  high  water,  and  comparatively  worthless.  Samuel  Colt  conceived  and 
executed  the  wondrous  dike,  two  miles  long,  seventy  feet  broad  at  base,  and  as 
wide  on  the  top  as  the  streets  of  Hartford,  bounded  by  a  green  ribbon  of  wil- 
lows, which  reclaimed  a  full  square  mile  of  tenitory.  And  he  not  only  erected 
a  gigantic  armory  thereon,  and  a  Swiss  village  for  his  employees  and  others,  but 
he  perfected  the  home  sho\\Ti  in  our  illustration. 

The  mansion  itself,  unique  and  costly  as  it  is,  carries  out  no  decided  princi- 
ples of  architecture :  like  the  mind  of  its  originator  and  builder,  it  is  bold  and 
unusual  in  its  combinations.     It  is  spoken  of  as  an  Italian  villa,  and  the  im- 


178 


THE   nOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


iwession  is  deepened  that  such  is  the  tiuth  liy  tiie  Uffizi  dogs — marble  guar- 
dians of  its  portals — which  burst  upon  tlie  view  through  an  archway  of  foliage 
into  the  grounds  from  the  street.  But  the  lofty,  solid  tower,  and  substantial, 
liome-Iike  aspect  are  distinctively  English,  and  the  capacious  dome  in  the  rear, 


(plaint  pinnacles,  minaret  effects,  profusion  of  balconies,  and  light,  lavish  orna- 
mentation everywhere,  indicate  a  severe  touch  of  the  Oriental.  It  is  con- 
structed of  stone,  and,  howevei*  contradictory  in  its  arehitectural  features,  is 
massive,  majestie,  and  retined. 

The  most   charming  room   is  the  conservatory.     This  is   inclosed  with  the 
finest  and  heaviest  of  plate-glass,  the  panels,  six  feet  high,  st't  in  foliated  arches  of 


MODERN  PERIOD.  179 

iron,  painted  red,  yellow,  and  royal  purple.  Above  exquisite  chandeliers,  them- 
selves hanging  baskets  of  fragrant  flowers,  a  central  dome  is  capped  with  a  golden 
apple.  Both  parlor  and  library  open  into  the  conservatory,  and  from  nearly  all 
the  rooms  in  the  upper  story  one  may  look  down  into  its  flowery  depths. 

The  picture-gallery  is  a  stately  apartment,  used  also  as  a  reception-  and  ball- 
room. The  portrait  of  the  founder  of  Armsmear— a  singularly  handsome  man 
— is  one  of  the  most  prominent  objects  of  contemplation.  He  Avas  born  in 
1814.  When  a  boy  of  fifteen  he  sailed  away  before  the  mast  for  India,  and  in 
his  enforced  solitude  of  shipboard  cut  out  with  his  penknife  the  model  of  a 
revolver.  He  returned  to  work,  to  think,  to  be  baffled,  disappointed,  and 
abused,  but  to  still  pursue  this  one  central  idea  of  his  brain  until  he  achieved 
a  fortune  of  over  five  millions,  and  became  the  invited  and  honored  guest  of 
kings  and  emperors.  In  1835  he  took  out  the  first  patent  for  I'evolving  fire- 
arms. In  1837,  during  the  Florida  war,  his  revolvers  were  first  successfully 
used.  During  the  Mexican  war  a  demand  sprang  up,  and  he  commenced  their 
manufacture  at  Hartford.  They  have  since  been  adopted  as  cavalry  arms  by 
most  civilized  nations.  The  genius  of  the  great  inventor  has  been  recognized 
throughout  the  world.  In  this  room  ai'e  the  cases  containing  the  superb  presents 
he  received  from  foreign  potentates :  the  gold  snuffbox  from  the  Sultan  of 
Tm'key,  date  1850,  which  bears  as  many  diamonds  on  its  top  as  there  are  days 
in  the  year,  set  in  silver  on  a  pale-blue  ground  ;  the  jeweled  snuffbox  fi'om  the 
present  Emperor  of  Russia ;  a  ring  in  dark-blue  enamel  bearing  the  imperial 
cipher  in  diamonds  of  the  Grand  Duke  Alexander  of  Russia ;  another,  more 
gKttering  and  gorgeous,  from  the  Czar  Nicholas ;  and  one,  a  "  stone  of  fire," 
fi'om  Charles  Albert,  King  of  Sardinia.  Gifts  in  gold  and  silver  from  the  two 
kings  of  Siam  shoidd  also  be  mentioned,  Turkish  orders  of  nobility,  two  or 
three  dozen  medals  of  honor  from  kings  and  queens,  royal  institittes,  societies, 
etc.,  together  with  curiosities  gathered  from  every  quarter  of  the  known  world. 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  the  successor  of  Haroun-al-Raschid  to 
Colonel  Colt,  dated  April  10,  1861  : 

''  Sultan  Abdul-Medjid,  son  of  Sultan  Mahmoud  Khan,  may  his  victories 
be  perpetuated ! 

"  The  object  of  this  present  noble  and  royal  sign,  of  this  illustrious  and 
brilliant  world-subduing  imperial  monogram,  is  as  follows  : 


180 


THE    HOMES.    OF  AMERICA. 


MODERN  PERIOD.  181 

"  The  possessor  of  the  present  imperial  sign,  Colonel  Samuel  Colt,  being  an 
American  citizen  of  talent  and  great  attainment  in  arts,  and,  moreover,  enter- 
taining sentiments  of  a  friendly  nature  for  my  sublime  Government,  I  have 
conferred  on  him  my  impeiial  decoration  of  the  fifth  class,  and  in  testimony  of 
the  same  I  have  issued  this  illustrious  Berat  (diploma)  in  his  favor,  in  the 
latter  decade  of  the  blessed  moon  of  Ramazan,  and  in  the  year  of  the  Hegira 
1277,  in  this  well-guarded  city  of  Constantine." 

Here,  too,  is  the  beautiful  cradle  made  for  his  first-born  sou  fi'om  the  famous 
wood  of  the  Cliarter  Oak,  shaped  like  a  canoe.  It  was  the  gift  of  Hon.  Mr. 
Stuart,  the  last  proprietor  of  the  old  tree,  and  the  form  was  chosen  as  a  com- 
pliment to  Colt  for  having  said  to  a  committee  from  the  British  Parliament 
that  he  had  "  paddled  his  o^vn  canoe,"  a  remark  which  created  quite  a  sensation 
in  that  lofty  body. 

The  fine  taste  of  Colonel  Colt  is  revealed  in  all  the  details  and  appoint- 
ments of  his  mansion.  An  octagonal  boudoir,  designed  as  a  morning-room  for 
his  wife,  siuTounded  by  a  delightful  veranda,  commands  one  of  the  most  lovely, 
serene,  and  English  of  views — a  view  which  has  been  compared  to  that  of  Rich- 
mond Hill  so  celebrated  by  Walpole  and  Pope — a  long,  green,  perfect  la^^Ti,  a 
fountain,  and  an  artificial  lake  three  hundred  and  eighty-eight  paces  in  circum- 
ference, in  which  stand  two  water-nymphs  and  a  bronze  colt,  conduits  both  of 
fountains,  all  bounded  apparently  by  an  endless  wood,  through  whose  green 
branches  a  fairy  sail  may  often  be  seen,  as  the  Connecticut,  masked  by  the  trees, 
betrays  itself,  as  an  angel  might  by  its  wings.  To  the  left  are  the  famous 
greenhouses,  which  have  been  fancifully  said  to  cover  a  mile  ;  thirteen  graperies 
produce  the  choicest  varieties  of  Chasselas,  Barbarossa,  black  Hamburg,  and 
other  grapes,  in  quantities  amounting  to  at  least  a  ton  yearly.  Strawberries, 
figs,  nectarines,  peaches,  and  other  choice  fi-uits,  flourish  in  great  abundance. 
The  walks  and  carriage-drives  are  laid  out  ^\\\h  judicious  precision,  every  turn 
affording  glimpses  of  deer-parks,  flowers,  shrubs,  willows,  glass  houses,  water, 
woods,  distant  mountains,  and  the  near  river. 

Beyond  all  this  luxuiy  the  towers  of  the  great  armory,  which  during  the 
Crimean  war  furnished  two  hundred  thousand  pistols  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment alone,  may  be  dimly  seen ;  also  the  outline  of  the  pretty  Swiss  village, 
which  grew  out  of  the  planting  of  willows  by  the  dike  that  their  interlaced 


182 


THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


^-^      '-^^^^^^i^,.^ 


Armemear— In    the    Grounds. 


MODERN  PERIOD.  183 

roots  might  defend  tlie  earth  ;  these  fantastic  Swiss  cottages  are  built  of  both 
brick  and  wood,  with  staircases  outside,  and  swann  ^^'ith  Swiss  inhabitants,  who 
make  the  cool  -wicker-work  chairs  and  couches  so  thoroughly  appreciated  in 
warm  climates.  Mrs.  Colt  has  erected  a  memorial  church  to  her  husband  and 
children  upon  this  unique  estate,  which  from  tm-ret  to  foundation-stone  is  a 
work  of  art.  The  largest  and  most  important  of  the  windows  is  to  the  memory 
of  Samuel  Colt.  It  is  a  picture  of  Joseph  standing  amid  his  sheaves,  in  the 
height  of  his  prosperity.  The  stained  glass  is  exceptionally  fine  in  quality  and 
color ;  the  ornaments  of  the  doorway,  even  the  sacred  mottoes  in  stone,  are 
-^vith  a  bold  fancy  fashioned  out  of  the  various  parts  of  the  revolver,  and  of 
the  engines  used  in  its  manufacture.  This  church  is  supported  by  Mrs.  Colt 
for  the  use  of  the  armorers  and  laborers  upon  her  property. 

Samuel  Colt  was  the  inventor  of  a  submarine  batteiy  of  great  power  and 
efficacy,  and  one  of  the  inventors  of  the  submarine  telegraph  cable,  in  addition 
to  the  particular  invention  which  led  to  his  wealth  and  distinction.  He  was 
proud  of  Hartford,  his  native  city,  and  was  constantly  inventing  schemes  for 
her  benefit.  He  not  only  rescued  an  amphibious  swamp  and  transformed  it 
into  a  square  mile  of  beauty,  but  brought  five  thousand  industrious,  useful  in- 
habitants to  her  borders ;  and  he  gave,  among  numerous  wise  and  liberal  gifts, 
a  splendid  hall  to  the  ancient  town. 

The  suburbs  of  Boston  are  peculiarly  rich  iu  homesteads  and  homes,  and,  in 
varied  natural  beauty  as  in  the  adornments  of  the  architectural  and  gardening 
arts,  they  have  been  often,  and  not  inappropriately,  compared  to  the  seductive 
haunts  about  Paris.  "Within  easy  reach  of  the  city  eveiy  phase  of  marine 
landscape  may  be  enjoyed.  Silvery,  shelving  beaches,  coves  of  gracefullest 
curve,  bold  promontories  jutting  far  out  among  the  waves,  iTide  masses  of 
jagged  rocks  \\dth  yawning  fissures  and  gurgling  gulfs,  pretty  verdant  islands, 
little  capes  gro^^^l  with  tree  and  bush  to  the  water's  edge,  lofty  natural  ter- 
races Tvdth  perpendicular  sides  reaching  down  to  the  sea,  with  here  and  there 
long  stretches  of  beach,  offer  peculiar  attractions  to  those  whose  tastes  tend  sea- 
ward. The  most  striking  feature  of  the  north  shore  is  the  bold,  rocky,  and 
irregular  promontory  of  Nahant.  In  full  view  of  frowning  masses  of  vari- 
colored rocks  at  this  point,  which  seem  to  have  been  hurled  up  in  fantastic 


184 


THE   HOMES    OE  AMERICA. 


f^ 


piles  by  some  convulsion 
of   the  earth,    many    of 
the   wealthy  citizens  of 
Boston  have  erected  cliami- 
ing  and  picturesque  dwell- 
ings.    What   were   a   few 
years   ago    dreary   wastes, 
Anth    scarcely  a  shred   of 

vegetation  to  hide  the  baldness  of  the  underlying  rocks,  are  now  close-cropped 
lawns  of  dazzling  greenness  and  mossy  softness ;  and  the  clifFs  are  crowned 
with  substantial  and  stately  homes. 

The  Lodge  iiiaTision   of  the   sketch   stands  ujion  the  extreme  end  of  the 


Residence    of    H.    Cabot    Lodge, 


MODERN  PERIOD.  185 

promontory — the  old  site  of  an  hotel  from  1819  to  1861,  wMch  was  unfortu- 
nately burned.  This .  residence  was  projected  by  John  E.  Lodge,  an  eminent 
citizen  of  Boston,  who  died  in  1867,  and  it  was  completed  by  his  son,  the 
present  occupant.  The  situation  is  unsurpassed  for  the  beauty  and  extent  of 
the  sea- view.  The  cliffs  near  by  rise  from  the  ocean  almost  perpendicularly  some 
forty  or  fifty  feet,  and  with  many  a  sudden  and  Jagged  Jut,  displaying  every 
variety  not  only  of  form  but  of  color ;  sometimes  wearing  hues  of  the  richest 
red  and  purple.  Just  below  the  mansion  is  "  Pulpit  Rock " — a  vast  block, 
about  thirty  feet  in  height  and  nearly  twenty  square,  standing  out  boldly  in 
the  tide.  On  the  top  is  an  opening,  forming  a  seat ;  but,  from  the  steejiness  of 
the  rock  on  all  sides,  it  is  difficult  of  access.  The  upper  portion  of  the  rock 
bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  pile  of  great  books.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
fancy  the  pile  as  the  pulpit  of  a  Titanic  preacher,  ^vith  the  tomes  spread  out, 
ready  for  his  advent  and  exhortation.  Almost  within  sight  of  the  window, 
too,  is  a  "  natural  bridge,"  which,  archwise,  crosses  a  dark,  deep  gorge,  beneath 
which  the  waters  boil  and  bubble  against  the  rocks ;  and  within  a  little  dis- 
tance is  "  Caldron  Cliff,"  a  gorge  overhung  by  the  rocks  on  either  side,  in 
which  the  water  roars  and  rages,  especially  during  a  storm,  with  an  almost 
overwhelming  fury.  From  the  south  side  of  the  edifice  the  sight  embraces  the 
city  of  Boston  in  the  hazy  distance,  rising  in  a  sort  of  cone  to  the  gilded  dome 
of  the  State-House  at  the  summit ,  and  between  lies  the  cm-ving  strand  of 
Chelsea,  while  the  beautiful  harbor,  with  its  many  islands,  its  forts,  its  light- 
houses, and  its  broad,  sweeping  coasts,  forms  a  rare  and  pleasing  pictm-e.  Be- 
yond Nahant  the  shore  stretches  off  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  varied  now 
and  then  by  a  tame  though  attractive  beach,  like  that  of  Lynn  or  Swampscott, 
until  it  reaches  the  eccentric  and  barren  peninsula  of  Marblehead,  so  celebrated 
in  history,  and  vividly  described  by  Hawthorne.  From  Salem  the  shore  runs 
nearly  west,  and  is  singularly  picturesque,  with  rich  evergreen  vegetation  grow- 
ing profusely,  in  many  places  quite  to  the  water's  edge,  notwithstanding  the 
storm-blasts ;  between  Beverly  and  Manchester  it  has  come  to  be  familiarly 
known  as  Beverly  Farms. 

Among  the  oldest  and  most  picturesque  homes  in  this  sequestered  nook  is 
the  Dexter  mansion,  built  a  quarter  of  a  centuiy  ago  by  Franklin  Dexter,  the 


186  THE   UOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

son  of  Hon.  Samuel  Dexter,  wlio  was  appointed  liy  Pres^ident  Adams  succes- 
sively Secretaiy  of  War  (1800)  and  of  the  Treasury  (1801),  and  had  charge 
for  a  short  time  of  the  State  Department  of  the  United  States.  It  is  one  of 
the  few  stone  residences  to  be  seen  on  the  cotist.  Of  the  ancient  Tudor  style 
of  architecture,  three  of  its  sides  are  fronted  Viy  conical  fa^-ades,  Ijroken  in 
the  castellated  manner,  as  seen  in  the  illustration.  The  stones  of  which  the 
house  is  built  were  gathered  wholly  in  the  immediate  neighborhood ;  and,  in 
collecting  them  for  this  purpose,  Mr.  Dexter  endeavored  to  retain  the  moss 
which  clung  to  them.  In  this  he  was  not  veiy  successful ;  but  the  effect  pro- 
duced liy  these  once  moss-grown  stones,  combined  in  a  structure  of  the  old 
Eufrlish  style,  gives  it  an  appeai'ance  of  being  much  older  than  its  actual  date. 
Perched  as  the  house  is  on  a  tine  eminence  just  above  the  sea,  \\\t\x  a  pretty 
little  beach  far  below,  and  the  noble  panoiania  of  waters,  promontories,  har- 
bore,  touiis,  and  islands  spread  out  before  it,  it  really  seems  like  a  hoary  castle 
built  by  some  Swiss  or  Rhenish  baron  who  had  strayed  hither  to  hold  his  state 
in  solitaiy  grandeur.  In  front  is  a  neat  terrace,  with  a  soft  la^vn,  and  bounded 
beyond  by  a  balustrade  ;  while  the  house  is  closely  surrounded  on  every  side, 
except  that  which  looks  toward  the  ocean,  by  a  thick  growth  of  evergreens. 
The  interior,  broken  up  into  many  compartments,  is  at  once  (piaint  and  cozy, 
with  an  old-time  air  in  striking  contrast  with  most  of  the  newer  houses  in  the 
vicinity. 

A  notable  peculiarity  of  Beverly  Farms,  which  is  reached  from  Boston  in 
about  an  hour  by  railroad  travel,  is  that  the  sea  is  hidden  from  sight  1)y  thick 
foliage  until  you  come  actvially  upon  it.  The  borders  of  the  ocean  are  broken 
into  a  great  number  of  hills  and  vales,  the  i'oriner  bt-ing  mainly  rocky,  yet  al- 
most invariably  covered  vdi\\  an  abundance  of  tloui-ishing  evergreens.  On  little 
eminences,  sometimes  on  diguitietl  hills,  or  perched  u})on  ledges,  peeping  from 
the  thick  clusters  of  trees,  may  be  seen  the  turrets  and  roofs  of  the  numberless 
mansions  standing  in  the  center  of  broad  domains,  with  ample  grounds  and 
long,  winding  avenues  from  the  road,  which  for  the  most  part  had  been  erected 
^vithin  the  past  decade.  The  jircvailing  style  of  architecture  is  dilHcuIt  to  de- 
scribe, yet  it  is  pronounced  in  its  jteculiarities.  It  seems  to  l)e  a  combination 
of  the  Swiss  and  English,  with  many  additions  in  the  nature  of  towers,  jutting 
veranda.s,  covered  2>iazza.s,  dormer-  anil  ba}-\\ indows.     Nearly  all  the  roofs  are 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


187 


painted  a  subdued  red.     Beverly  Farms  is  less  thickly  settled,  as  it  is  less  ele- 
gant and  aristocratic  than  Nahant ;  but  it  is  delightful  in  its  roomy  seclusion, 


Residence    of    Mrs.     Dexter,     Beverly    Farms. 


nearly  every  residence  being  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  the   primeval  evergreen 
forest,  apparently  content  ^\ath  one  opening  toward  the  sea. 


188 


THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


About  a  iiiiU'  from  tlie  Dexter  mansion  is  the  residence  of  George  Gardner, 
a  wealthy  Boston  niereliant,  Imilt  within  tlie  {>ast  two  or  three  yeai*s.  Mr. 
Gardner  succeeded  in  purchasing  a  number  of  aci'es  of  a  hiri,'e  farm  property — 

wliich,  thouirh  imich  coveted 
by  those  wlio  \\ished  a  ])leasant 
site  for  a  home  on  the  sliore, 
liad  loHLi;  liccii  lit-ld  fimii  the 
market  Ijy  tlie  i)roprietor — and 
at  once  improved  it  into  what 


is    now    one    of 

the  most  striking 

and  tasteful  estates  of 

Beverly  Farms.    The 

domain  is  entered  a  short  dis 

tance  from  the  "  Pride's  Cross 

ing"   railway-station  ;    and    ii 

its  first  approach  there  is  no 

appearance  of  its  being  in  the  near  neiirhborhood  of  the   sea.     The 

eutera  a  beautifully  wide,  smooth,  and  well-constructed   avenue,  whic 

by  gracefid  reaches  and  slight  curves  amid  a  forest  of  stately  evcrtrreen 

which  wliltc  pine  and  spruce,  interspei-sed  with   Itfcclics,  pi-fdomiiKite. 


Residence    of    George    Gardner,     Beverly. 


carnage 

h  ])asses 

s,  among 

It  is  a 


MODERN   PERIOD.  189 

merit  of  this  aveniie  that  its  turnings  and  windings  are  not  artificial,  so  as  to 
give  a  serpentine  character,  but  are  only  made  where  the  ground  naturally  in- 
dicates that  a  straight  line  should  be  departed  from.  On  the  left,  as  one  di-ives 
along  the  avenue,  is  seen  through  the  trees  a  delightful  tiu-fy  glen,  part  of  which 
is  broken  by  a  noisy  trout-stream.  This  glen  was  once  a  swamp,  which  the  pres- 
ent owner,  with  some  pains,  converted  into  the  pleasant  retreat  it  now  appears. 
A  drive  of  half  a  mile  through  the  evergreen  wood  brings  one  to  a  semicircu- 
lar opening  in  which,  opposite  the  avenue,  stands  the  house.  This  little  am- 
phitheatre is  disposed  in  a  rich  lawn,  broken  by  a  flower-bed  here  and  there, 
and  fringed  on  either  side  by  the  primeval  forest ;  while  beyond  the  house  a 
glimpse  is  obtained  of  the  restless  waters  of  old  Ocean.  A  handsome  |>orfe- 
cochere  precedes  the  entrance  to  the  house,  which  is  painted  the  prevalent  dull 
yellow,  wdth  a  red  roof.  It  was  built  square,  that  the  inteiior  might  be  most 
conveniently  disposed  for  comfort ;  and  then  towers,  dormer-windows,  and  ve- 
randas were  added  to  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  bare  sides,  and  lend  pictu- 
resqueness  to  the  edifice.  On  the  side  toward  the  sea  is  a  noble,  wide,  covered 
veranda,  jutting  out  in  the  center  so  as  to  make  it  as  spacious  as  a  good-sized 
apartment ;  and  the  trimming  has  been  so  designed  as  to  give  a  wooden  imita- 
tion of  an  awning.  Mr.  Gardner's  estate  is  very  complete  in  all  its  arrange- 
ments for  summer  luxury  and  comfort.  The  stables  are  hid  away  from  sight  in 
an  evergreen  copse ;  and  not  far  off  is  a  large  and  well-appointed  hennery, 
where  rare  breeds  and  many  varieties  of  fowl  may  be  seen.  Just  below  the 
house  is  a  snug  little  beach,  just  large  enough  to  serve  as  a  secluded  and  pleas- 
ant private  bathing-place ;  while  the  rocks  round  about  assmne  many  rugged 
and  imposingly  iiTegular  shapes  and  various  hues. 

Turning  inland  from  Boston,  Jamaica  Plain  and  Brookline,  lying  side  by 
side,  about  four  miles  from  the  State-House,  are  preeminent  among  the  beauti- 
ful subiu'bs  in  their  attractive  situations,  and  theii'  display  of  the  elegances  of 
wealth  and  of  ripe  taste  in  dwellings,  parks,  and  gardens.  Jamaica  Plain,  for- 
merly a  part  of  West  Roxbuiy,  is  now  annexed  to  Boston  itself,  and  is  reached 
either  by  railway  or  horse-cars.  Its  name  is  somewhat  misleading ;  for,  while 
its  center  and  many  other  portions  are  on  a  level,  it  is  otherwise  prettily 
varied  by  hill  and  dale.     Its  particular  gem  is  its  lovely  "  pond,"  better  deserv- 


190  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

ing  the  name  of  lake,  which,  sleeping  aniiil  a  cinle  of  gentle  liills  planted  with 
fine  residences  and  with  noble  copses  of  cultivated  old  trees,  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  sheets  of  water  to  be  found  so  near  a  large  city.  For  many  yeare 
Boston  derived  its  water-supply  from  this  jioiid,  whicli  was  carried  to  and 
through  the  city  in  hollow  pine-l<)gs.  Its  only  pnictical  use  n<>w  is  in  furnish- 
ing excellent  ice. 

Among  the  notable  handsome  domains  in  the  immediate  vicinity  is  "  Pine- 
bank,"  the  home  of  Edward  N.  Perkins,  of  which  the  ilhistration  aifords  a 
double  view,  or  rather  endjraces  the  view  of  Jamaica  Pond  fioni  the  mansion. 
The  estate  was  purchased  seventy-five  years  ago  by  the  grandfather  of  the 
present  ownier ;  and  each  member  of  the  family  into  whose  hands  it  has  fallen 
since  that  time  ha.s  taken  pride  in  its  impi-ovement.  It  consists  of  aliout  four- 
teen acres,  but  the  nearly  surnnuKling  jiond  with  its  seventy  acres  of  water 
seeming  to  envelop  the  estate,  gives  it  the  effect  of  a  much  larger  jilace — an 
effect  heightened  by  the  high  wooded  banks,  with  their  winding  walks,  and 
constantly  shifting  scenes. 

The  present  house  is  of  comparatively  recent  date.  A  dwelling  upon  its 
site,  built  in  1802,  gave  place  foity-six  yeare  later  to  a  more  pretentious  edifice, 
which  was  burned  in  1868.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  of  two  colors,  red  and 
fawn  (the  latter  ha\'ing  been  brought  from  England,  after  the  old  ^'irginian 
fjishion),  which  gives  variety  and  lightness  to  the  architecture  of  an  ancient 
English  style.  The  house  is  so  happily  adapted  to  the  site  on  wliiili  it  stands 
that  it  has  little  of  the  rawness  of  a  new  edifice,  but  seems  to  have  taken  natu- 
rall}-  to  the  soil.  In  shape  it  is  a  parallelogram,  sixty  feet  by  fifty.  Entering 
the  front  door,  you  tiiid  youisclf  in  a  spacious  hall,  with  walnut  staircase  and 
wainscoting,  which  runs  completely  through  the  house.  On  the  first  floor  are 
luxurious  rooms — a  lil)rary,  (h'awing-i-oom,  "den,"  and  dining-room  ;  while  the 
kitchen  ami  oflices  are  in  the  rear. 

The  sui'ioundings  of  the  house  are  full  of  interest,  and  the  water-glimpses 
are  delightful,  (ieorge  S.  Ilillard,  writing  thirty  years  ago,  sj)oke  of  "  Pine- 
l>ank,  with  its  breezy  lawns,  the  lieautit'ul  belt  of  trees  whicli  skii'ts  its  boi-deif*, 
its  winding  walks,  and  gentle  waves  that  die  away  from  its  ]>ebbled  shores"  ; 
and  its  l)eauties  and  attractif)ns  are  nuich  greater  now  than  then.  Its  neighbor- 
hood has  changed  ;  houses  ami  villas  liave  sprung  up,  once  lustic  lanes  ami  by- 


MODERN   PERIOD. 


191 


^^ay&  have  become  ave 
nues  and  streets,  lighted 
with  gas,  and  bounded 
by  paved  oi  asphalt  side- 
walks. But  the  high 
banks,  crowned  with  lof- 
ty pines — which  union 
gives  the  place  its  name 
— are  still  there,  noble 
trees  planted  by  ances- 
tral forethought,  and 
now  in  their  full  ma- 
turity. Passing  along  the  main  avenue,  bordered  and  shaded,  one  catches  a 
view  of  "  The  Dell,"  around  which  the  road  now  ^\4nds ;  while  the  library- 


'  Pinebank  "—Home    of    Edward    N.     Perkins. 


192  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

Anndow  looks  across  the  smooth,  broad  la\vii  to  the  <>hl  summer-house,  and 
beyoud  iuto  the  sparkling  blue  waters  of  the  pond.  An  histoi-ieal  curiosity 
of  no  slight  value  adds  interest  to  these  beauties  of  art  embellished  nature. 
From  the  lawn,  on  the  western  bank,  an  ancient  flight  of  massive  stone  steps 
leads  to  the  path  on  the  edge  of  the  water.  These  steps  once  led  the  way 
up  to  the  front  door  of  the  Hancock  mansion,  occupied  by  John  Hancock 
when  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  which  stood  for  more  than  a  century  on 
the  summit  of  Beacon  Hill,  near  the  State-House,  in  Boston.  The  steps  are 
one  hundred  and  forty-two  years  old,  and  are  of  Connecticut  freestone.  They 
were  bought  by  Mr.  Perkins  when  the  Hancock  house  was  torn  do^^^^  to 
give  way  to  more  ostentatious  mansions.  Could  these  old  red  blocks  speak, 
what  tales  might  they  not  tell  of  the  magnates  of  Old  and  of  New  England  ; 
of  the  "fair  women  and  brave  men"  Avho  have  trodden  them  with  light  or 
heavy  hearts  in  days  long  gone  !  Here,  shaded  by  "  the  murmuring  pines  and 
the  hemlocks,"  and  caii)eted  \\\i\\  their  shining  and  ta^^^ly  needles,  they  have 
found  a  refuge  where  they  are  likely  pernianeutly  to  remain. 

Opposite  "  Pincl)aiik,"  upon  the  other  side  of  Jamaica  Pond,  is  the  liouic  of 
Francis  Parkman,  the  scholar  and  historian.  The  one-stoiy  ell  obseiTed  in  the 
illustration  is  his  study.  The  house  itself  is  impretentious,  but  both  within 
and  without  is  pervaded  by  an  atmosphere  of  refined  and  elegant  comfort. 
The  architecture  is  in  pleasant  keeping  -vvith  the  stillness  of  its  peaceful  sur- 
roundings. No  spot  upon  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  could  be  better  fitted  ft»r 
the  abode  of  a  man  of  lettere,  or  more  favorable  for  researches  in  early  Ameri- 
can histoiy,  and  the  jiroduction  of  such  volumes  as  have  year  after  year  afforded 
so  much  pleasure  and  interest  to  thousands  of  readere.  The  view  of  the  ^tlacid 
watei-s  of  the  pond  through  the  trees;  the  quiet  of  the  rural  scene  and  tlic 
summer  day;  the  richly  laden  gardens  stretching  off  down  almost  to  tlie 
water's  edge ;  the  grateful  shade  of  the  trees,  and  the  bright  and  varied  coloix 
of  the  flowers — can  not  but  pleasantly  dispose  the  studious  mind  to  its  serene 
tasks.  The  estate,  which  once  belonged  to  the  Chickering  family,  with  many 
of  the  suiToundiug  domains,  has  been  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  Parkman  for 
about  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Comprising  as  it  does  but  from  three  to  foui- 
acres,  it  has  been  improved  by  liberal  outlays  and  with  <'Xi'rllt'iit  judgincnt. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


193 


e    of    francis    Paikman 


until  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  attractive  places  in 
this  delightful  neighborhood.  Mr.  Parkman's  taste 
has  led  him  to  pay  special  attention  to  the  cultivation 
of  shi'ubs  and  flowers ;  and  it  is  the  wealth,  variety, 
and  beauty  of  these  which  constitute  the  conspicuous 
features  of  the  homestead.  He  has  for  years  imported  such  brilliant  speci- 
mens of  the  European  flora  as  were  found  to  be  not  uncongenial  to  New 
England  soil ;  and  as  a  result  the  Parknian  estate  is  noted  for  rare  flow- 
ers, seldom  seen  elsewhere  in  this  countiy.  Sauntering  along  the  garden- 
paths,  one  pauses  in  admii'ation  before  the  dazzling  clusters  of  rhododendrons 
which  meet  the  eye.  Magnolias,  azalias,  and  rare  lilies  are  also  abundantly 
displayed  in  choice  species  and  of  many  hues.  But  the  flower  especially 
nursed  and  multiplied  in  the  gardens  is  the  rose.     Perhaps  nowhere  can  l^e 


194  TJtJ-^   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

seen  a  greater  profusion  or  a  greater  variety  of  roses.  They  appear  on  all 
sides,  l)loi)iniii<r  in  nnliniiteil  (Hiautity,  and  of  every  color  and  size,  filling  the 
air  with  delicious  odoi-s.  Such  roses  and  other  flowere  as  ^\^ll  not  bear  fi-ee 
exposui-e  are  tenderly  nurtured  in  ample  greenhouses.  One  of  the  prettiest 
ornaments  of  the  estate  is  a  Avire  fence  which  extends  down  from  the  rear  of 
the  house  to  the  pond,  and  about  which  clings  and  creeps  a  graceful  profusion 
of  clematis.  The  exceptional  floral  beauties  of  the  place  are  the  result  of  many 
years  of  zealous  care  and  cultivation. 

The  notable  residence  of  Colonel  Theodore  Lyman,  Mayor  of  Boston  fi-om 
1832  to  1835,  is  in  the  "  garden  suburb  "  of  Brookline,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and 
also  one  of  the  most  picturesque  to\^-ns  in  New  England,  not  far  from  Jamaica 
Pond.  It  was  the  fii-st  house  built  near  Boston  in  what  was  termed  the  "  Ital- 
ian style  " — a  modification  of  the  Florentine  villa.  The  color  was  a  dai-k  cream, 
resembling  the  soft  Italian  limestones.  The  whole  character  of  the  house  was 
a  departui-e  from  the  styles  of  the  period,  Init  it  proved  a  striking  success,  and 
attracted  much  attention,  partly  from  the  beauty  of  its  situation,  and  partly 
from  the  skillful  designing  by  Richard  Upjohn,  the  architect  of  Trinity  Church, 
New  York.  It  stands  as  originaEy  built,  with  the  exception  of  a  one-stoiy 
sununer-parlor  added  to  the  rear.  It  occupies  an  interesting  place  among  the 
scores  of  mansions  in  the  vicinity  which  eclipse  it  in  size,  costliness,  and  ele- 
gance, because  of  its  having  marked  the  revolution  in  American  domestic  archi- 
tecture, the  triumphs  of  which  prove  a  never-ending  surprise  and  delight. 

The  father  of  Colonel  Theodore  Lyman  was  a  rich  and  liberal  merchant  of 
Boston,  who,  \vith  a  remarkable  tuni  for  rural  improvements,  established  one 
of  the  finest  ornamental  domains  in  the  suburbs,  laying  out  flower-gardens, 
o-reeuhouses,  fruitei'ies,  a  water-course,  and  even  a  deer-park.  Thus  with  his 
fortune  Colonel  L\iiiaii  inherited  a  zealous  taste  for  landscape-gardening.  He 
received  his  early  education  at  the  Phillips  Exeter  Academy  In  1814  he 
visited  Europe,  afterward  studied  law,  and  again  went  abroad.  In  1819  he 
made  his  debut  in  public  affairs,  serving  in  both  branches  of  the  ]\Iassachusetts 
Legislature,  and  filling  many  ofiices  of  trust.  He  founded  the  State  Reform 
School  of  Massachusetts,  upon  which  he  bestowed  seventy-two  thousand  dol- 
lare.     He  wiis  a  trustee  and  benefactor  of  the  Farm  School,  to  which  at  his  de- 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


195 


*n\^*"B' "'PWJ 


19(i  THE   HOMES    OE  AMERICA. 

cease  he  bequeathed  ten  thousaiul  dollai-s;  aud  he  also  gave  ten  thousand  dul- 
hii-s  to  the  State  Horticultural  Society.  He  was  an  officer  of  the  militia,  an 
orator  of  no  mean  ability,  and  an  author  of  several  works  of  interest. 

This  estate  belonged,  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  to  a  Mr.  White,  who 
sold  it  to  Mr.  Jonathan  Mason.  It  then  comprised  three  hundred  acres ;  but 
the  property  was  afterward  cut  in  two  by  the  old  Boston  and  Worcester  turn- 
pike. A  picturesque  hill,  that  rises  above  the  Lyman  house,  was  called  "  Sin- 
gle-Tree Hill,"  from  a  large,  solitaiy  tree  Avhich  grew  on  its  summit,  and  was, 
yeai-s  ago,  a  landmark  for  vessels  coming  into  Boston  Harbor.  It  was  from 
this  hill  that  the  present  JMr.  Jonathan  Mason  Avatched  as  a  boy  the  disastrous 
action  between  the  Shannon  and  the  Chesapeake  in  Boston  Bay.  An  avenue 
was  planted  seventy  years  ago  in  a  straight  line  across  the  estate  from  Heath 
Street  to  the  Worcester  turnpike,  with  a  wide  gap  opposite  the  then  exist- 
ing mansion,  which  was  an  old-fashioned  wooden  house.  The  avenue  con- 
sisted of  a  single  line  of  American  elms  on  either  side,  backed  by  a  wide  bor- 
der of  white-pines.  The  elm  grows  gracefully,  but  not  luxuriantly,  in  the 
gravel-diift  of  New  England ;  and  while  the  trees  of  the  aAenue,  consitlei-ed 
apai-t,  are  not  noticeable  for  beauty,  having  suifered  from  too  iinich  ciowdiiig, 
the  general  effect  is  striking.  In  the  center  the  elms  form  u  high,  drooping 
arch,  to  which  the  dark  foliage  aud  the  upright  forms  of  the  large  pines  make 
an  effective  background. 

One  of  the  best  examples  near  Boston  of  the  choice  of  a  site  for  a  home, 
with  a  view  to  its  relation  to  landscape  ornamentation,  is  that  of  the  residence 
of  II.  II.  Iluiiiiewell  at  Wellesley.  There  are  many  mansions  more  majestic 
and  elaborate  from  an  architectural  point  of  A-iew,  but  few  to  be  found  in  all 
the  land  in  more  striking  harmony  Avith  exterior  suiToundings.  It  is  of  grace- 
ful proportions,  two  stories  high,  almost  scpiare,  with  an  additional  Aving  iqion 
one  side.  The  fi'out  is  relieved  by  a  semicircular  sAvell,  which  prolongs  the 
hall  on  the  fii-st  floor,  and  adds  a  bay-window  to  the  second.  A  small,  prett)', 
covered  portico  gives  access  to  the  hall,  which  is  eighteen  feet  wide  and  fifty- 
four  long,  exteniling  through  the  entire  depth  of  the  house.  On  the  right  is  a 
covered  veranda.  The  house  is  surmounted  by  an  elegant  balustrade,  the  only 
fanciful  adorniiu'iit  of  its  exterior,  while  another  balustrade  skirts  the  drive- 


MODERN   PERIOD. 


1!)7 


way  in  front,  ornamented  at  frequent  intervals  with  vases,  and  toward  the  lawn 
inclosed  with  shrubs.     It  is  the  surrouudings,  however,  and  the  views  from  the 


house  which  foim  the 
chief  attraction  of  the 
place,  rather  than  the 
edifice  itself. 

This  splendid  es- 
tate has  been  converted 
by  its  owner  thi-ough 
a  generous  outlay  from 
an  ordinaiy  country 
homestead,  overspread 
vpith  a  rade  gi'owth  of 
pitch-pine,  scrub-oak, 
and  birch,  with  only  meager  assistance  fi'om  nature,  into  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  homesteads  within    ten  miles  of    Boston.     The  task  was  begun 


Residence    of    H.     H.     Hunnewell,    Wellesley 


198  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

ui)on  au  elaborate  plan :  a  nursery  of  one  or  two  acres  was  created,  and  im- 
ported trees  planted,  after  which  a  lawn  was  laid  out,  graded,  treucheti,  and 
enriclied,  and  the  boundaries  of  the  propei-ty  tastefully  bordered  with  evei-greens 
and  shi-ubbeiy.  Then  the  house  was  l)uilt.  Standing  upon  its  porch,  we  niav 
now  see  upon  one  side  a  beautiful  lawn,  perfectly  kejit,  and  of  velvety  hue  and 
softness,  stretching  away  to  the  border ;  on  the  other  side  a  "  French  partei-re  " 
and  an  "  English  garden,"  with  graceful  ten-aces,  fountains,  shnibs,  and  plants, 
with  the  beautiful  lake  and  distant  outlook.  From  the  parteiTe  to  the  lake  a 
series  of  steps  lead  by  a  succession  of  terraces ;  the  lake  itself  is  a  lovely  water 
expanse  about  a  mile  long.  The  English  garden  is  a  fine  reproduction  of  the 
lu-t  to  be  seen  at  Kew  and  Hampton  Court.  The  amplest  varieties  of  flowers 
appear  in  the  beds  and  plots,  and  at  the  right  season  the  garden  glows  with  a 
profusion  of  various  and  brilliant  color.  It  is  kept  with  order  and  neatness, 
and  is  the  most  beautiful  spot  on  the  estate,  except  perhaps  the  "  Italian  gar- 
den," which  is  reached  from  it  along  the  lake,  and  of  which  a  glimpse  is  given 
in  the  accompanying  illustration.  Overlooking  both  is  a  pretty  summer-house, 
a  lookout  perched  upon  a  hillock,  and  provided  with  windows,  the  panes  of 
"which  are  of  many  colors,  affording  amusing  contrasts  as  the  gardens  are  ob- 
sen'ed  through  them.  The  Italian  garden  is  a  model  of  artistic  loveliness  in 
landscape.  Here  there  is  a  imion  of  the  older  and  newer  styles  of  landscape- 
gardening,  many  of  the  trees  and  shiiibs  being  trimmed  into  fantastic  shapes, 
others  disposed  natui-ally  and  gi-acef  ully  in  gi'oups  and  copses ;  and  a  series  of 
terraces,  ^nth  vases  of  rare  plants  adorned  with  the  sculptm-e  of  a  sitting  lion, 
also  overlook  the  waters  of  the  lake. 

In  the  earlier  pages  of  this  work  may  be  found  examples  of  the  domestic 
architecture  of  former  periods  in  Cambridge,  Concord,  and  Quincy ;  and  now, 
in  striking  contrast  with  the  ancestral  residence  of  the  Adamses,  we  illustrate 
tlie  newer  and  more  castle-like  abode  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  the  eldest  son 
and  heir  of  Charles  Francis  Adams,  situated  upon  Mount  Wollaston,  which 
forms  the  eastern  portion  of  the  toA\Ti  of  Quincy.  It  is  an  dfuant  and  sjiowy 
edifice,  with  a  square  brick  tower  sm'uiounted  liy  a  wnodcn  t'onical  rnni'.  the 
main  jwrtion  of  tlic  hmise  being  also  of  wood.  The  site  was  I'mincily  tlic 
property  of  the  Quincys,  four  generations  removed  fioni  the  present  occu])ant, 


310DERN  PERIOD. 


199 


Hoi-ne    of    John    Quincy    Adams. 

tlu-ough  AvLom  it  became  ingrafted  upon 
the  Adams  estate,  and  tliiis  it  has  been 
in  possession  of  tlie  family  for  more  than 
a  century  and  a  half.  Many  of  the  lime- 
trees  planted  by  Josiah  Quincy  upon  this  beautiful  hill  are  still  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition.  Architecturally  the  two  houses  of  the  Adamses  eloquently 
portray  the  contrast  lietween  the  venerable  past  and  the  bright  and  cheer- 
ful present.  Parasites  are  already  creeping  up  the  picturesque  tower  cf 
the  home  of  the  younger  Adams  ;  in  every  corner  are  pleasant  little  porches, 


200  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

affording  fine  views  of  the  suiTounding  countiy ;  ami  the  interior  decorations 
are  in  accordance  ^\•^tll  the  most  ajiproved  modern  tastes  and  notions.  It  over- 
looks Boston  Harbor  and  the  marshes  and  inlets  of  the  South  Boston  Flats, 
\\liilf  ill  tlir  easteiMi  distance  gleams  the  State-House  dome,  surrounded  by  the 
serried  masses  of  city  dwellings.  In  every  direction,  save  that  toward  the  sea, 
are  e.vquisite  prospects  of  park,  foliage,  and  villa  i-esidence,  together  with 
thri^^ng  villages,  verdant  fields,  and  smiling  hills.  Few  sites  in  the  vicinity  of 
Boston  command  a  more  picturescjue  variety  of  entertaining  landsca]ie  than  the 
eminence  whereon  has  been  erected  this  handsome  dwelling. 

Malbone,  one  of  the  sho^v-places  of  Newj'jort,  is  a  handsome  castellated 
house  buUt  in  the  Elizaljethan  style,  with  long,  latticed,  narrow  windows  pier- 
cing the  brown-stone  walls,  and  a  square  tower,  which  contains  three  sepai-ate 
rooms.  It  is  located  upon  a  high  point  of  land,  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the 
Ocean  House,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  beautiful  harbor  with  all  its  ac- 
cessories of  varied  interest.  Although  a  modern  edifice,  it  is  enveloped  with 
anti(iuarian  romance  from  having  arisen  out  of  the  ashes,  as  it  were,  of  a  fonner 
mansion  upon  the  same  site,  about  which  many  curious  stories  have  passed  into 
history.  In  the  palmy  days  of  Ne^^^ort,  which,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  a 
remarkably  prosperous  tovra  during  the  centur}^  preceding  the  Kevolntion,  the 
docks  for  a  full  mile  were  thronged  ^\■ith  not  less  than  two  hiindred  ships  in 
the  foreign  trade,  numerous  coasting-vessels,  and  a  regular  line  of  London 
packets.  As  many  as  eighteen  Indiamen  are  recorded  as  having  arrived  in  a 
single  day.  Thii-ty  distilleries  were  in  daily  and  nightly  operation,  and  forty 
or  fifty  vessels  owned  by  leading  merchants  of  Newport  were  sailing  to  and 
from  Africa,  exchanging  rum  for  negi'o  slaves.  Foreign  wars  for  a  considerable 
portion  of  this  period  rendered  privateering  a  legitimate  business.  Altogether 
many  great  fortunes  were  amassed.  Godfrey  and  John  Malbone  were  among 
the  richest  of  the  rich  merchants  of  that  epoch,  and  they  built  the  finest  man- 
sion in  the  colonies,  on  the  lovely  eminence  in  the  midst  of  six  hundred  highly 
cultivated  acres,  ever  since  called  Malbone.  The  edifice  was  constiiicted  of 
stone  broxight  from  a  Connecticut  quany ;  it  cost  upward  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars — one  circular  staircase  alone  was  reputed  to  have  absorl)ed  more 
monev  than  an  (>rilin;ir\  dwcllinir.      Anionir  other  stiikinir  features  of  the  house 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


201 


was  an  underground  passage  leading  by  a  trap-door  from  one  of  the  rooms  to 

the  sea ! 

The  gardens  and  hiwns  were  elaborately  laid  out — banks  and  terraces, 
hedges  of  shrubbery  and  groups  of  rare  trees,  alternated  with  plots  of  flowers 
and  artiflcial  lakes.  When  the  Hon.  J.  Prescott  Hall  restored  the  villa,  he  re- 
stocked the  ruined  grounds  with  marble  fauns,  naiads,  hamadiyads,  and  nymphs. 


■•  Malbone,"     Home    of    Ex-Mayor    Henry    Bedloe,    Newport. 


after  the  taste  of  the  olden  period.  Colonel  Malbone  was  as  famous  for  his 
banquets  as  Newport  in  his  day  was  distinguished  for  hospitality,  and  excess  m 
the  luxuiy  of  eating  and  drinking.  Choice  mnes  flowed  freely,  and  prodigious 
oaths  echoed  through  stately  halls.  Whenever  one  of  his  ships  came  in  fi-om  a 
successful  voyage  he  would  invite  all  the  sailors  to  a  magnificent  feast  in  his 
great  dining-room,  laying  the  table  wdth  common  crockery.  The  closing  feature 
of  these  entertainments  was  always  a  \dld  frolic,  the  master  of  the  house  setting 


L>(»l>  77/ A-   HOMEIS    OF  AMERICA. 

the  example  of  hilarity  by  hurling  a  plate  at  the  heatl  of  the  man  at  the  other 
end  t)f  the  table,  and  the  rule  was  not  to  leave  a  dish  unbroken.  At  precisely 
the  right  moment  the  shipping-book  would  be  brought  out,  and  the  seamen, 
charmed  with  the  delightful  character  of  their  host,  were  oidy  too  ready  to 
register  their  names  at  his  re([uest  for  another  voyage. 

At  one  of  Colonel  Mallione's  more  stately  dinners  the  conks  in  tlu'  kitcluii 
allowed  the  wotnl-wuik  nf  the  dwelling  to  take  fire,  and  tlu'  Haines  spread  with 
such  inconceivable  rapidity  that  in  a  few  minutes  the  great  edifice  was  a  blaz- 
ing pile.  It  is  said  that,  seeing  its  inevitable  destruction,  the  owner  declared 
Avith  great  oaths  that  if  he  must  lose  his  house  he  would  not  lose  his  dinner, 
and,  ordering  the  table  and  its  contents  spread  iipon  the  lawn,  he  heljjed  his 
guests  to  the  third  coui-se,  and  they  finished  their  meal  and  the  Madeira  by  the 
light  of  the  consuming  mansion.  The  mass  of  mins  remained  for  yeai-s  imdis- 
turbed,  but  the  finest  of  the  stones  were  finally  exhumed  by  Mr.  Hall  and 
built  into  the  walls  of  the  present  structure,  the  home  of  the  ex-Mayor  of  New- 
port, Henry  Bedloe.  Its  brown-stone  walls  are  hung  with  ivy,  and  its  whole 
exterior  has  the  effect  of  matimty ;  while  within  modern  taste  has  added  those 
last  and  perfect  touches  which  advanced  notions  of  luxury  demand. 

The  many-gabled  Ne\\'i)ort  villa  of  Charlotte  Cushman,  upon  the  corner 
of  Catharine  Street  and  Rhode  Island  Avenue,  is  interesting  from  its  associa- 
tion with  the  memory  of  the  great  histrionic  genius  whose  fame  is  as  ^dde  as 
the  world  itself.  It  is  of  an  easy,  restful  style  of  architecture,  with  pointed 
towei-s,  and  innumerable  windows  and  verandas  looking  off  upon  the  broad 
ocean.  "  I  desire  my  sea  and  my  sunsets,"  said  this  most  accomplished,  original, 
and  delightful  of  women,  in  speaking  of  her  summer  home.  Miss  Cushman 
was  Boston  bom  and  reared.  At  the  age  of  twelve  (in  1824)  she  was  called 
upon  to  contribute  to  the  family  support  in  consequence  of  the  bankruptcy  of 
her  lather.  She  was  a  natural  singer,  and  had  acquired  some  local  reputation 
for  miisical  taste  ;  and,  being  invited  to  sing  at  a  concert,  astonished  some  of  the 
musical  celebrities  of  the  pei'iod,  who  unhesitatingly  |)i'onounced  her  voice  the 
finest  contralto  in  the  country,  and  advised  its  cultivation  upon  the  stage.  In 
opposition  to  the  wishes  of  her  friends,  she  adopted  this  coui-se.  Her  subse- 
<|Uent  successes  in  l)otli    Europe  and  America  are  too  well   known  to  need  re- 


MODERJSr   PERIOD. 


203 


capitulation.  She  accumulated  a  fortune,  and  through  untiring  industry  \\\ 
study  and  enthusiastic  devotion  to  her  art  I'eached  a  higher  plane  in  seiious 
drama  than  any  of  her  contemporaries.  Her  house  was  designed  by  the  cele- 
brated Ne-w-iwrt  architect,  Richard  M.  Hunt,  Avho  was  also  author  of  the  \)e- 
culiar  architectural  plan  of  the  elegant  mansion  of  Mr.  Marquand,  of  New 


Residence    of    Charlotte    Cushman. 


York  City,  occupying  a  beautiful  site  upon  Rhode  Island  Avenue,  just  beyond 
the  villa  of  Miss  Cushman,  and  which  contains  so  many  rare  and  curious  things 
that  "  Bric4-brac  Hall "  lias  been  suggested  as  a  fitting  name  for  it. 


204  THE   HOMES    OF  AMEIilCA. 

Ne\vport  is  a  city  of  architectural  siirjirises.  Ever  since  it  became  tlu-  sum- 
mer center  of  the  \vealth  and  culture  of  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and 
other  laroje  cities,  it  has  l>een  gradually  blossoming  into  cottages  that  aiv  pal- 
aces until  its  costly  dwellings  in  endless  succession  line  tlie  avenues,  with  tlieir 
finished  lawns  skii'ting  the  sea,  their  bright-colored  tloweis,  their  graperies, 
their  hot-houses,  their  jiicturesque  rocks  and  individual  beaches,  embellishing 
the  Avhole  water-boundary  of  this  famous  and  fashionable  summer  retreat. 
Such  is  the  enticing  character  of  the  climate  and  scenery  of  Newjiort  that  the 
money  built  into  the  solid  masonr}'  of  its  castellate<l  homes  promises  to  be  an 
enduring  investment.  Every  known  and  unknown  oicUt  nf  domestic  architec- 
tuiv  is  represented  here.  The  seeker  after  tlie  pictures(jue  has  not  infre(iuently 
adopted  the  grotesque,  but  the  styles  of  okl  Germany  and  of  modern  France, 
of  Switzerland,  of  Spain,  of  Italy,  of  England,  and  of  the  isles  of  the  sea, 
are  faithfully  I'eproduced.  There  is  even  a  cojiy  of  an  old  Colonial  house,  its 
unpainted  exterior  contrasting  singularly  with  the  elegance  of  the  modern  land- 
scape-gardening Avith  wdiich  it  is  smTOUuded.  The  stone  chiiteau  of  George 
Peabody  AVetmore,  of  New  York  City,  is  said  to  contain  the  finest  carving  in 
America.  The  walls  of  the  library  are  entirely  carved  work  ;  the  dining-room 
walls  are  daintily  wrought  in  fruits  and  ilo\vei"s,  yet  so  as  to  give  the  effect  of 
a  frame  for  the  frescoes  which  adorn  the  ceiling.  It  is  as  if  the  guests  dined 
under  an  elegant  framed  picture.  The  staircase  ])assing  up  under  the  tower  is 
a  work  of  art — indeed,  the  whole  edifice  is  rich  in  artistic  combinations.  The 
house,  with  its  surroundings  of  twenty  choice  acres,  lodge,  etc.,  has  l^een  val- 
ued at  a  million  dollars.  The  next  in  point  of  costliness  is  perhajis  that  of 
Pierre  Lorillard,  of  New  Y(n'k  City,  which  stands  on  tlic  point,  I'oininanding  a 
broad  expanse  of  ocean ;  it  })resents  a  striking  appearance,  is  palatial  in  size, 
and  magnificent  in  its  furnishings  and  decorations.  Its  grounds  terminate  in 
a  private  beach.  Not  far  distant  is  the  home  of  Fairman  Rogers,  of  Phila- 
delphia, one  of  the  novelties  of  the  great  mansion  being  broad  sheets  of  plate- 
glass  extending  from  floor  to  ceiling,  giving  a  view  on  the  one  hand  of  the  surf 
dashing  against  the  rocks,  and  on  the  otlit-i'  of  smooth  lawns,  winding  walks, 
and  beautiful  trees.  AVilliaTu  Beach  Lawivnce,  of  New  ^'o^k.  possesses  tlu' 
largest  landed  estate  in  Newport.  His  house  is  imlividual  in  eharaetei-,  sj>a- 
cious  anil  im]>osing  in   efl'ect,  and  all   its  appointments  are  in   excellent   taste. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


205 


The  view  from  its  ^vindows  takes  iu  the  whole  sweep  of  ocean  to  the  east  and 
south.     Mr.  Lam-ence  is  a  man  of  scholarship  and  culture,  and  his  library  con- 


Home    of    Thomas     G      Appleton,     Newport. 


tains  the  largest  collection  of  works  on  international  law  in  this  countiy.  In 
contrast  with  these  more  stately  homes  of  Newport  the  picturesque  brick-and- 
wood  cottage  of  Thomas  G.  Ai)pleton,  of  Boston,  lirother-in-law  of  the  poet 


206  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

Longfellow,  is  a  pleasing  study.  It  is  a  bewildering  mass  of  outcropping  fan- 
cies, Swiss  roofs,  overhangini;  l>a]oonies,  and  novel  conceits.  Its  o\\iier  and 
])uil(ler  is  a  writer  of  nuicli  force  and  t>riginality,  and  a  celebrated  ^v^t  in  con- 
versation. He  lias  Ijeen  styled  the  Sydney  Smith  of  the  modern  dinner- 
table. 

"  The  Hypothenuse,"  the  home  of  Colonel  George  E.  Waring,  Jr.,  so  named 
from  its  fronting  the  angle  at  the  junction  of  two  streets,  thus  creating  a  tri- 
angular lawn,  is  a  model  of  the  union  of  exterior  architectural  beauty  and  sub- 
stantial interior  convenience  and  refined  comfort.  Clambering  vines  and  creepera 
are  also  in  delightful  harmony  \\\\\\  the  light,  graceful,  and  elegant  furnishing  of 
the  various  apartments,  which  are  imusual  and  irregular  in  form  and  in  their 
relation  to  each  otlu'i-.  A  bay-window  in  the  southern  drawing-room  is  com- 
posed of  the  smallest  of  panes  of  glass,  admitting  a  flood  of  soft  sunlight  upon 
innumerable  artistic  treasures  ^\^thin  the  recess.  Colonel  Waring  is  a  well- 
known  contributor  to  periodical  literature — one  paper,  on  a  horse  which  carried 
him  through  the  war  and  finally  had  an  attack  of  insanity,  attracting  much  at- 
tention. But  in  Newport  he  is  knoA\Ti  as  the  best  butter-maker,  among  his 
other  accomplishments,  for  the  model  Ogden  Farm  turns  out  that  delicate 
necessity  of  the  breakfast-table  in  ijerfection.  Ogden  Farm,  under  Colonel 
Waring's  superintendence,  its  pretty  Alderuey  cows  and  its  German  \vork- 
people,  is  one  of  the  sights  of  Ne\v;[iort. 

Although  the  geography  of  this  cozy  home  is  not  \VTitten  upon  the  face  of 
it,  it  is  less  like  a  Chinese  puzzle  than  the  "  Old  Stone  Mill,"  which  stands 
open  to  the  stoi-m  upon  Touro  Park,  without  doors  or  hiding-iilaces.  It  is  a 
circular  ^vall  of  unhewed  stone  resting  upon  arches  springing  fi-om  eight  round 
massive  colunms.  Books  have  been  written,  ancient  records  exhumed,  legends 
told,  poems  pei"petrated,  songs  sung,  and  hoaxes  invented,  concerning  its  origin, 
without  even  an  approach  to  the  solution  of  the  mystery.  The  conviction  has 
forced  itself  upon  the  minds  of  scholare  that  it  was  the  work  of  the  Northmen 
from  the  fact  that  it  corresponds  precisely  with  the  style  of  architecture  pe- 
culiarl}'  their  ovra  at  a  time  when  they  are  known  to  have  influenced  the  char- 
acter of  the  architecture  of  all  Europe — during  the  middle  ages.  It  has  jn-ob- 
ably  stood  the  winds  of  ciglit  centuries.     NewjK)rt  has  tlic  lionoi'  of  being  the 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


207 


oldest  port  in  the  Western  World — that  is,  there  are  unmistakable  e\adences 
that  the  Northmen  projected  a  settlement  here  at  least  four  hundred  years 
before  the  time  of  Christopher  Columbus.  To  this  (quaint,  old,  mysterious 
ruin  Longfellow  refers  in  his  ballad  of  "  The  Skeleton  in  Armor  "  : 

"  There  for  my  lady's  bower 
Built  I  the  lofty  tower. 
Which,  to  this  very  hour. 

Stands  looking  seaward." 

Thus  Ne^\'port's  relic  divides  attention  with  her  modem  glories.  Among 
the  earliest  to  erect  fine  summer-houses  upon  her  historic  soil  were  Albert 
Sumner,  the  brother  of  Charles  Sumner ;  George  Jones,  of  Savannah,  Georgia ; 
Mrs.  Catharine  Harper ;   De  Lancey  Kane,  of  New  York  City ;  William  Beach 


-»«,  ,^'^--;r 


"The    Hypothenuse,"    Residence    of    Colonel    George    E.    Waring,    Jr. 


Lawrence;  and    George   Bancroft,   the    distinguished    historian.      To-day    the 
princely  habitations  are  almost  countless.     The  home  of  J.  P.  Kernochan,  on 


208  THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

Marine  Avenue,  k  a  palatial  «tnicture  of  which  the  eye  never  tires.  TIic  lawn 
of  five  acres  is  beautified  with  mounds  of  briiiht-colored  flowers,  while  trees 
ujion  either  side  foi-iii  a  fittin<r  frame  for  architectural  grandeui-.  The  drawinc:- 
rooms  and  library  are  ricldyoriiamented,  each  in  a  distinct  st\lt',  and  a  Ipall- 
room,  thirty-two  feet  s(juare,  has  a  vaiilted  ceiling  with  decorations  in  white, 
blue,  and  gold,  a  consummate  work  of  art.  Another  immense  and  luxurious 
New^iort  home  is  that  of  Loring  Andrews,  iipon  Bellevue  Avenue.  The  inte- 
rior is  on  a  scale  of  sufficient  magnificence  to  satisfy  the  potentate  of  a  nation. 
The  central  hall  is  twenty-four  feet  Made  and  seventeen  feet  high.  From  it 
open,  reception-room,  library,  drawing-rooms,  and  great  dining-hall,  each  deco- 
rated and  furnished  in  keeping  with  the  dignity  and  elegance  of  the  whole  ; 
the  finest  hard  woods,  the  most  tasteful  tiling,  and  the  choicest  crystals  lend 
their  charms  to  the  harmonious  proportions  of  the  grand  design.  The  home  of 
John  Jacob  Astor,  on  Bellevue  Avenue,  has  the  effect  of  a  foreign  castle.  It 
is  constructed  of  red  brick,  and  is  broad,  deej),  square,  massive.  Its  velvety 
lawn  is  spacious,  and  the  inclosure  from  the  avenue  is  a  lu-ick  \\all  corre- 
sponding exactly  with  the  masonry  of  the  house;  the  handsonu-  lodoe  at  the 
gateway  is  of  the  same  material  and  older  of  arcliitectmc.  It  was  oiiginally 
built  for  the  Peruvian  Minister  to  the  United  States,  and  is  said  to  have  cost 
nearly  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  "  Bythesa,"  the  home  of  August  Bel- 
mont, is  a  gem  of  stylish  beauty,  unlike  any  other  mansion  in  Newport,  and  its 
gn)unds  ai-e  stocked  with  the  choicest  of  flowers  and  plants.  Charles  J.  Peter- 
son, of  Philadelphia,  the  well-known  publisher,  has  a  villa  of  French  design, 
upon  a  site  of  uncommon  natural  attractions,  which  have  been  skillfully  de- 
veloped. The  house  is  almost  hidden  tVoni  (lie  street  by  the  profusion  of  trees 
and  foliage.  "  Oak  La\vn,"  the  Italian  \  ilia  of  Charles  II.  Russell,  of  New 
York,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Newport,  comprises  fourteen  acres  upon  Bellevue 
Avenue,  and  is  noted  for  its  roses,  rare  plants,  and  superb  oak-trees,  embi;uing 
every  variet}-. 

"  The  Rocks,"  as  the  home  of  General  Ro})ert  B.  Potter  has  been  appropri- 
ately named,  is  a  mixture  of  Swiss  and  English  architecture,  situated  upon 
the  cliffs  near  Avhere  Bellevue  Avenue  terminates  in  a  sniootli.  NNiudinu-  road 
known  as  the  Ocean  Drive,  six  or  seven  miles  in  Icnt^'^fli,  wliich  coils  in  and  out 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


209 


among  the  rocks  and  bowlders  and  over  and  around  hills  and  mounds,  with 
poetic  and  captivating  glimpses  of  land  and  sea  vouchsafed  at  every  turn.    The 


'The    Rocks,"    Home    of    General     Robert    B.     Potter. 


house  of  General  Potter  is  much  larger  than  it  seems  in  the  illustration,  and  is 
elaborately  finished.  From  the  great,  broad  hall  in  the  center  rooms  open  upon 
either  side,  while  the  view  of  the  ocean  fi'om  them  all  is  unsui-passed.  On  a 
stormy  day  the  family  can  sit  in  the  library  in  front  of  a  fireplace,  and,  gazing 
into  the  great  miiTor,  see  the  reflected  tui-moil  of  the  waves.  "  Spouting  Rock," 
celebrated  for  its  antics  after  a  storm,  is  in  the  foreground,  at  the  extreme  point 
of  a  vast  ledge,  in  the  heart  of  which  there  appears  to  be  an  enormous  cavity 
into  which  the  ocean  rushes  faster  than  it  can  escape.  When  the  waves  are 
lashed  with  southwest  winds,  and  breaking,  foaming,  tumbling  over  each  other, 
they  come  rolling  into  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  where,  ^vith  a  roar  like  that  of  a 
thousand  cannon,  immense  clouds  of  glittering  foam  and  spray  are  thrown  a 
himdred  feet  into  the  air.  The  earth  trembles  under  the  angry  blows  dealt 
along  the  piles  of  rock,  which  stand  fearless,  grand,  and  grim,  as  they  have 
stood  for  centuries — shoulder  to  shoulder  across  the  entii-e  southern  end  of  the 
island — and  the  scene  is  of  the  grandest  character.  Upon  these  bold  head- 
lands stands  many  a  beautiful  dwelling  of  noble  jiroportions,  some  of  which 


210  Till-:    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

liave  sea-walls  planted  with  I'aiv  va-ses.  " FinisteiTe,"  the  home  of  Mrs. 
(Taidiner  Brewer,  occupies  a  tine  position,  the  grounds  extending  to  the  rugged 
sliore,  \vhere  the  white-capped  \vaves  break  perpetually. 

Near  the  Ocean  House,  which  from  association  and  its  owii  excellence  ha.s 
become  one  of  the  most  celebrated  hotels  in  the  country,  stands  the  handsome 
scpiare  mansion  of  David  Hunt,  the  scene  of  the  deliberations  of  the  Alabama 
Commission  in  1872.  In  the  same  leafy  vicinity  is  the  villa  of  ^Ii-s.  Paran 
Stevens,  of  New  York,  affording  through  its  wealth  of  evergreens  glim2)ses 
from  the  street  of  broad  verandas,  terraces,  of  a  stately  entrance,  and  stained- 
glass  wiu(lo\vs.  A\V  fain  would  speak  of  "Fair  Lawn,"  the  home  of  Levi  P. 
^loi-ton,  of  the  homes  of  Genei-al  Cullum,  ex-Governor  Morgan,  Robert  H.  Mc- 
Cui'dy,  Professor  Agassiz,  Colonel  Jerome  Bonaparte,  and  many  others,  but 
we  should  never  reach  the  end  of  the  list,  and  must  forl)ear.  The  fogs  of  New- 
jtort  are  alnised  and  praised  in  about  ec^ual  ratio.  Tlie  oldei-  residents  are  fond 
of  them.  William  Ellery  Channiug,  the  great  Unitarian  divine,  calls  them 
"the  brooms  which  keep  the  atmosphere  clean."  Newport  was  his  Imthplace. 
He  says  further,  in  his  "  Recollections  "  :  "  These  fogs  are  proverbially  a  good 
cosmetic,  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  the  fair  daughters  of  Rhode  Island  owed 
their  lustrous  complexions  to  sleeping  with  their  lieads  out  of  the  window  when 
the  mists  of  the  sea  prevailed."  The  wondrous  climate,  the  antiipiity,  the  ro- 
mance, and  the  Ijeauty  of  Newjiort  will  continue  to  jn-evail ;  and  thus  the  city 
of  palaces,  with  its  social  formalities,  tine  old  clnnvhes,  delightful  roads,  costly 
e(juipages,  and  the  fleetest  horses  in  the  world,  seems  destined  to  eclipse  the 
entire  continent  in  the  felicities  as  well  as  the  varieties  of  domestic  archi- 
tecture. 

"  Cedarcroft,"  the  home  of  the  late  lamented  Bayard  Taylor,  i^oet,  scholai-, 
and  statesman,  is  ca.st  in  an  inland  scene  of  an  entirely  opposite  character. 
It  is  in  Kennett  Scjuare,  Pennsylvania,  tliii'ty-five  miles  from  Philadelphia. 
The  house  stands  on  an  elevation,  surrounded  by  pleasant  grounds,  whicli 
slope  off  in  natui'al  ten-aces  in  front,  while  sylvan  fields  stretch  away  on 
every  side.  And  yet  the  landscape  is  not  heavily  wooded,  but  open,  undu- 
lating, rich  in  upland — tlie  crown  of  all  pastoral  landscapes — and  declines 
softly  into  peaceful  valleys  and  bits  of  meadow-land.     It  is  a  charming  spot, 


MODERN  PERIOD.  211 

its  stillness  in  striking  contrast  with  tlie  noisy  roar  of  the  billows  on  the  At- 
lantic coast,  and  seemingly  designed  by  Nature  herself  for  a  poet's  home. 

The  mansion  is  a  solid  brick  structure,  its  corners  faced  with  stone.  The 
main  entrance  is  through  a  square  tower  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  building.  A 
stretch  of  lawn  thickly  dotted  with  cedars  slopes  from  the  terrace  in  front, 
which  has  a  southern  outlook ;  it  is  bordered  upon  the  right  by  an  irregular 
hedgerow  of  trees,  \dnes,  and  underbrush,  while  upon  the  left  is  a  grove  of  Vii'- 
ginia  pines,  and  a  group  of  oaks,  chestnuts,  tulips,  and  hickoiy -trees.  Near  the 
house  are  lindens  and  a  great  old  sycamore  ;  at  the  head  of  the  lawn,  a  little 
to  the  west,  stand  some  immense  chestnut-trees  decaying  with  age,  and  falling 
bough  by  bough.  A  pond  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lawn  opens  on  a  little  vista 
of  brook-willows.  Rare  grapes  sun  themselves  to  perfection  in  glass  houses, 
and  the  more  hardy  varieties  flomish  in  the  neighboring  vineyard.  Pome- 
granates grow  along  the  high,  warm  garden-wall ;  peach,  pear,  cherry,  and  other 
fruit-trees  lift  their  heavily  laden  branches  healthfully;  the  pretty  garden- 
walks  are  bordered  with  rows  of  box ;  and  tiny  Scotch  ftrs  and  ornamental 
shrubs  and  evergreens  are  upon  every  side.  Nothing  is  overcrowded — the 
whole  scene  is  like  the  sweet  dream  of  the  poet-traveler,  who,  when  he  had 
seen  the  Avorld  from  all  points  of  observation,  longed  to  settle  as  a  landed 
proprietor  within  the  town  which  gave  him  birth. 

Bayard  Taylor  purchased  the  estate  while  in  Europe,  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  villa  of  the  illustration  upon  his  return  ;  it  was  completed  in  1860. 
It  is  in  sight  of  and  nearly  opposite  the  old  Taylor  homestead,  the  residence  of 
his  parents.  His  father  was  descended  from  a  Quaker  clergyman  who  was  the 
fi-iend  and  companion  of  William  Penn,  and  who  settled  in  Pennsylvania 
nearly  two  centuries  since.  The  poet's  early  life  was  varied  by  outbursts  of 
rhythm,  and  his  boyhood  reading  embraced  eveiy  book  in  his  father's  house, 
and  all  that  he  could  borrow  of  friends  or  neighbors  or  obtain  fi-om  the  village 
library.  He  was  as  fond  of  art  as  of  poetry,  and  desired  to  become  a  painter, 
but  the  way  to  instruction  bristled  with  obstacles ;  and,  although  he  sometimes 
indulged  his  tastes  in  after-years  by  the  production  of  a  picture,  he  never  gave 
special  time  to  the  subject  or  acknowledged  art  as  a  profession.  At  eighteen 
he  had  accumulated  enough  printed  poems  to  publish  a  small  volume.  Wish- 
ing to  go  to  Germany  for  study,  he  began  ^vl•iting  for  the  newspapers.     After 


212 


Tin:    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


spending  two  years  abroad,  mastering  the  Geiinan  language,  and  becoming  toler- 
ably familiar  mth  Italian  and  French,  he  returned  to  America,  and  shortly  pub- 
lished his  lettei-s  of  travel,  called  "  Views  Afoot,"  which  was  esteemed  at  the 


•  Cedarcroft."     Home    of    Bayard    Taylor. 


time  a  great  commercial  success.  This  occurred  when  he  was  only  twenty-one 
years  old.  Henceforward  for  over  thirty  yeai-s  he  was  one  of  the  most  indus- 
trious of  scholars.  He  left  his  footprints  in  California,  in  Asia,  in  Europe,  and 
ill  Afrira.     IIi'  was  a  successful  lecturer,  triviiii,'  niuetv  let'tures  during  Ills  fii-st 


MODEEN   PERIOD.  213 

season.  He  published  twenty-six  volumes,  embracing  poetry,  travels,  novels, 
stories,  and  translations,  besides  editing  innumerable  works,  contributing  to 
magazines  and  country  newspapers,  and  for  nearly  the  whole  period  was  upon 
the  editorial  staff  of  the  "  New  York  Tribune."  In  the  spring  of  1857  he 
compiled  "  A  Cyclopaedia  of  Modern  Travel,"  after  which  he  sailed  for  the 
Old  World  once  more,  and  spent  the  summer  in  Norway,  Sweden,  and  Lap- 
land ;  in  October  of  that  year  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Hansen,  the 
daughter  of  a  distinguished  German  astronomer,  and  they  \'isited  Greece  and 
Asia  Minor  on  their  wedding-tour,  after  which  they  retiu'ned  to  America. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  a  man  of  fine  presence,  tall,  well-jiroportioned,  and  his  sym- 
metry of  character,  personal  excellences,  and  charming  social  qualities,  endeared 
him  to  a  legion  of  fiiends.  When,  after  having  enriched  our  literature  in  a 
thousand  ways,  at  the  ripe  age  of  fifty-thi-ee,  he  was  appointed  United  States 
Minister  to  the  German  Empire,  the  welcome  iutelligeuce  flashing  over  the 
wires  warmed  the  great  national  heart  into  countless  and  varied  expressions 
of  pride  and  pleasui-e. 

"  Lochiel,"  the  home  of  Simon  Cameron,  Senator,  ex-Minister  to  Russia, 
and  ex-Secretaiy  of  War,  in  the  comfortable,  prosperous,  handsome  town  of 
Harrisburg,  capital  of  the  great  coal  State,  was  named  fi-om  Lochiel,  the  war- 
like chieftain  of  the  clan  Cameron,  whose  romantic  and  unfortunate  careei", 
great  personal  prowess,  and  magnanimity,  have  so  endeared  his  memory  to  the 
Highlanders.  He  foresaw  the  evil  consequences  of  the  fatal  entei-prise  of 
1745 ;  he  foresaw  the  hopelessness  of  the  cause,  and  yet  his  sensibility  to  a 
point  of  honor  overruled  his  wisdom.  He  could  not  brook  the  reproaches  of 
Prince  Charles,  but  yielded  to  the  Stuart  voice,  whose  music  was  that  of  the 
siren,  and  always  lured  men  to  their  ruin.  Hence  Culloden  was  lost,  and  Lo- 
chiel lay  "  with  his  back  to  the  field  and  his  feet  to  the  foe  " — giving  the  world 
a  much-quoted  poem,  and  one  of  those  pictures  of  gallant  self-devotion  which 
the  world  loves. 

His  distinguished  descendant  or  cousin  has  not  had  occasion  to  quote  the 
opening  lines  of  Campbell's  stirring  lyric — 

"  Lochiel !  Lochiel !  beware  of  the  day 
When  the  Lowlands  shall  meet  thee  in  battle  array  " — 


214 


rilK    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


for  when  he  has  met  his  foes  he  has  generally  borne  off  the  palm  of  victory, 
until  his  admirei-s  fondly  style  him  the  "  Czar  of  Pennsylvania  politics."  He 
was  born  in  1 799.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  began  his  public  career  as  an 
editor  of  a  newspai)er  in  Doylestown,  and  in  1822  settled  in  Ilarrisburg,  edit- 
ing a  journal  advocating  Jackson's  election  to  the  presidency.     A  few  yeais 


M:i 


•'^j."'"-' V  _,  yi. 


Lochiel,"     Home    of 


Simon     Cameron,     Hnrrisburg. 


lattT  he  was  president  of  a  l>ank,  of  two  railioad  t-ompanies,  and  was  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  State  ;  since  when  his  life  has  been  chiefly  before  the  world. 

"  Lochiel  "  is  a  broad,  commodious,  handsome  house  of  unpretentious  archi- 
tecture, surrounded  by  verandas  heavily  hung  with  vines,  and  shaded  by  great, 
uniliiageous  trees.     It   is  in   many  respects  a  typical  country  mansion,  roomy 


MODERN  PERIOD.  215 

and  hospitable,  and  \vell  fitted  to  guard  its  inmates  from  the  fierce  heats  of 
summer  and  the  sudden  and  severe  waves  of  cold  in  winter. 

The  home  of  Felix  O.  C.  Darley,  the  foremost  American  artist  in  black-and- 
white,  is  in  Claymout,  Delaware,  just  beyond  the  borders  of  Pennsylvania.  It 
overlooks  the  Delaware  River,  the  unparalleled  view  from  its  broad,  inviting 
veranda  being  deftly  shown  in  the  sketch.  It  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  a 
fai-m  where  Wertmuller,  a  Swedish  painter,  best  known  for  his  celebrated  pic- 
tiu'e  of  Danae,  lived  for  many  years  and  died.  It  is  a  charming,  old-fashioned, 
gable-roofed  edifice,  with  touches  of  modern  taste  throughout  its  length  and 
breadth,  and  situated  on  a  quiet  site  where  its  master  can  peacefully  immor- 
talize the  passing  fancies  of  his  mind.  Mr.  Darley  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
in  1822.  With  a  natui-al  genius  for  sketching,  he  played  with  his  pencil 
m  his  leisure  hours,  while  a  boy  in  a  counting-house,  amusing  himself  at  the 
expense  of  those  about  him  in  all  manner  of  piquant  caricature — two  or 
three  lines  being  sufficient  to  metamorphose  a  fellow  creature,  still  presei-ving 
his  identity.  The  pictorial  journal  was  then  a  novelty,  and,  when  certain 
woodcuts  in  a  Philadelphia  publication  attracted  notice  because  of  their  supe- 
rior drawing  and  singular  expression,  the  author  was  sought  out  and  offers 
made  to  him  which  led  to  his  applying  himseK  wholly  to  the  pursuit  of  ren- 
dering the  comedy  of  life  into  artistic  significance.  He  was  connected  by 
birth  -^vith  an  eminent  family,  and  related  to  Thomas  Sully,  the  favorite  por- 
trait-painter of  the  day.  Employed  by  the  large  publishing-houses  of  his 
native  city,  he  soon  earned  a  wide  and  enviable  reputation.  In  18-48  he 
removed  to  New  York,  and,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American  Art  Union, 
executed  elaborate  outline  illustrations  of  Irving's  humorous  ^vi'itings.  The 
six  devoted  to  the  "  Legend  of  Sleepy  HoUow "  when  published  formed  an 
epoch  in  om*  art-history.  So  masterly  and  full  of  promise  were  these  artis- 
tic specimens  that  offers  were  made  Mr.  Darley  to  settle  in  London — which 
he,  however,  declined. 

The  peculiar  skill  and  power  of  Darley's  pencil  have  kept  it  in  constant 
requisition.  The  designs  for  Cooper's  novels  are  five  hundred  in  number,  all 
characteiistic  scenes  of  American  life.  Spirited  and  popular  illustrations  of 
Dickens's  works  contributed  to  the  artist's  fame  abroad ;  nothing  is  more  ex- 


>1(J 


Till-:    HOMES    OF   ami: RICA. 


pressive  in  its  \va\  than  his  illustration  of  a  scene  in  the  "Pickwick  Papers," 
which  (Icscrilies  the  visit  of  the  Reverend  Mr.  SticTLrins  to  the  inconiirible  Sam 


Home    of    Felijc    O.    C.     Oarley,    Claymont. 


Weller  in  prison.  Old  Tony  leans  upon  the  liack  of  an  ann-ohair,  enjo\  ing 
Sara's  mock  solicitude  for  the  physical  welfare  of  "  the  Shepherd,"  while  Mrs. 
AVeller  is  sentimental  in  another  part  of  the  picture.     Large  engravings,  such  as 


MODERN  PER  tod:  217 

"  Washington's  Entry  into  New  York,"  and  "  The  Seasons,"  have  from  time 
to  time  appeared ;  and  from  a  bank-note  vignette  comprising  Indian  scenes 
or  bufi'alo-hunts,  to  a  political  caricature  for  a  comic  paper,  no  draughtsman 
was  ever  more  prompt  and  inventive.  During  the  yacht-trip  of  Prince  Na- 
poleon to  America  he  ordered  for  his  private  collection  four  draA\angs  which 
were  executed  by  Mr.  Darley — "  The  Village  Blacksmith,"  "  The  Unwil- 
ling Laborer,"  "  Emigrants  attacked  by  Indians  on  the  Prairie,"  and  "  The 
Repose." 

Mr.  Darley  married  a  daughter  of  the  great  arithmetician,  Zerah  Colbum, 
and  traveled  with  his  wife  in  Eiu"ope,  making  studies  extensively  as  means  of 
elaborate  and  authentic  illustrations  of  legend,  chronicle,  and  song.  His  work 
during  his  journeyings  in  the  Old  World  was  directed  chiefly  to  the  di-awing 
of  rare  historical  houses  and  characteristic  figures.  And  yet  he  occasionally 
executed  a  picture  in  color,  as,  for  instance,  "  A  Scene  in  the  Streets  of  Rome," 
which  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a  gentleman  in  Boston.  He  has  found  a 
wide  range  for  his  genius  in  purely  American  subjects.  He  wields  a  master's 
pencil,  and  can  do  justice  to  the  most  earnest  and  pathetic  sentiment.  Nothing 
in  this  style  of  art  is  more  remarkable  than  the  skill  with  which  he  embodied 
into  illustrations  his  sense  of  the  beauty,  power,  and  truth  of  that  pleasing  but 
now  forgotten  work  of  fiction,  "  Margaret."  His  special  aptitude  as  a  draughts- 
man seems  to  lie  in  the  delineation  of  war  scenes — where  men  and  horses  are 
in  the  most  fierce  and  characteristic  action.  His  talent  for  seizing  local  and 
personal  facts,  not  infrequently  from  verbal  descriptions,  and  placing  them  be- 
fore the  eye  with  his  pencil,  almost  with  the  accuracy  of  the  photograph,  has 
given  to  the  world  many  graphic  and  artistic  battle  representations.  He 
can  also  make  one  realize  how  ironical,  acute,  observant,  and  natural  it  is 
possible  to  be  with  no  instrument  but  a  lead-pencil ;  he  tells  a  story  with  a 
dash,  reveals  a  character  by  a  curve,  and  embodies  an  expression  with  two  or 
three  dots.  It  is  better  than  a  comedy  to  look  over  his  sketch-book.  It  is 
rarely  that  the  same  hand  can  deal  so  aptly  with  the  graceful  and  the  pensive, 
so  vigorously  with  the  characteristic,  and  so  broadly  with  the  humorous,  ex- 
hibiting an  equal  facility  and  felicity  in  true  literal  transcript  and  in  fancifid 
conception. 


218 


THE  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 


The  stone  house  of  Russell  Smith,  at  Abington,  in  Pennsylvania,  is  a 
curious  instance  of  the  inipoi-tation  of  Old  World  ideas.  It  is  an  anachronism. 
It  is  one  of  Guy  of  AN'arwick's  towers,  cut  off  at  top  and  set  down  in  the  most 
charniinu- nf  rural  landscapes.  It  is  a  granite  stronghold,  and  its  servitor  should 
be  a  ni.tu   in  arnioi'.     Windows  pierced  for  bowmen,  liigh  in   the  walls,  show 


Residence    of    Russell    Smith,    Abington,     Pennsylvania. 


that  it  could  stand  a  siege,  yet  it  rises  from  the  sweetest  of  flower-gardens,  with 
no  more  Avarlike  assailant  than  a  scarlet  poppy  to  dare  its  frowning  battle- 
ments ;  it  is  undeniably  interesting  and  curious,  and,  if  it  does  suggest  the  in- 
congniity  of  a  "  mailed  warrior  in  somber  harness  "  at  a  modern  rose-show,  it 
should  be  forgiven  for  its  lovely  wild-laurel,  its  mixture  of  the  (piaint  and  the 
modem,  and  its  veiy  extensive  and  most  bcautiriil  pi'osjiect. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


219 


In  striking  arcliitectural  contrast  i.s  the  Gothic  villa  of  A.  J.  Cassatt,  Vice- 
President  of  the  famous  Pennsylvania  Railway,  near  Biyn  Mawr,  the  Welsh 
subiii'b  of  Philadelphia  so  well  known  to  the  thousands  of  visitors  who  tested 
its  hospitality  during  the  Centennial  Exhibition.  It  is  near  the  Friends,  Col- 
lege at  Haverford,  \vhich  new  building  in  the  Gothic  style  seems  to  indicate 


V£  e1^^^ 


v  /^-f 


Residence    of    A.    J.    Cassett,     Bryn    Mawr,    Pennsylvania. 


that  the  Quakers  are  throwing  off  the  tyranny  of  George  Fox.  It  is  built  of 
the  light  granite  so  common  in  that  region,  -with  brown-stone  copings,  and  has 
a  substantial  and  j)icturesque  appearance.  The  gi'ounds  are  new,  and  yet  but 
partially  improved,  although  creepers  and  vines  have  coiled  themselves  over 
the    pleasant    verandas    in    quite    an    antique    fashion.     Ample    stables    and 


oo(i  Till-:  noMiis   m-  am  Kim  a. 

kennels  reveal   the    Kul^HsIi   tastes  ol'  its   master  fur  liui-ses,  clogs,  ami   eouiitiv 
life. 

The  late  Judge  Asa  Packer  resided  in  Maueb  Chunk,  a  plaee  felicitous  in 
all  things  I»ut  name,  where  every  fine  view,  every  prominent  building,  its  coal- 
mines, ^\■atel•falls,  railways,  and  factories,  all  testify'  to  his  energy,  his  philan- 
thropy, and  his  genius.  The  comfortable,  plaiu  brick  house  of  the  sketch  is  in 
the  Italian  villa  style,  very  extensive  and  commodious;  it  is  constructed  of 
brick,  and  is  painted  a  light  cream-color,  Asith  brown-stone  copings.  The  in- 
truding, crowding  mountains  left  very  little  space  for  the  level  ground  re(piii'ed 
tV)r  such  a  house ;  thus  the  site  was  excavated  fi-om  the  side-hill.  The  result  is 
most  peculiar  and  picturescjue.  Trees  and  shrubs  of  rare  growths,  flowere  in 
endless  variety,  fountains  and  statues,  crowd  up  in  lovely  confusion  as  one  lin- 
gei-s  on  the  vine-covered  veranda  looking  do\vnward.  The  view  embraces  the 
enterpi-ising  villages  below  of  the  three  Mauch  Chunks,  with  froxniing  and 
bold  precipices  between ;  and  directly  undei'  the  grounds,  as  it  w  ere,  rises  the 
Gothic  spire  of  an  Episcopal  chui'ch. 

Mauch  Chunk  is  in  itself  one  of  the  most  \\'ild  and  singularly  r<)niantic 
comlnnations  of  mountain,  forest,  glen,  and  river,  that  can  be  seen  on  this  side 
of  Switzerland.  Nature  seems  to  have  distributed  her  mountains  regardless  of 
appearances,  order,  or  quantity ;  it  is  an  heterogeneous  medley,  a  saturnalia  of 
wood-covered  hills.  Through  them  dashes  the  dark,  sparlding  Lehigh  River, 
one  of  the  most  spirited  of  streams,  not  at  all  checked  by  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
liardest-worked  river  in  the  world.  The  thousand  Undines  that  hide  luider  its 
ash-colored  and  coal-stained  waters  jiuup  up  in  white  raiment  and  beautify  the 
rocks,  the  waterfalls,  the  dams,  and  the  rifts,  Avhich  abound.  So  subservient 
has  this  river  been  made  to  the  gigantic  industries  of  coal  and  iron  that  it  is 
dammed  every  few  miles,  and  the  long,  silent,  fair  reaches  above  these  obstruc- 
tions remind  one  of  Hamerton's  picture  of  "  The  Unkno\vn  River"  as  the  ^v^l- 
lows  sweep  the  banks,  and  are  mirrored  in  its  placid  surface.  Then  the  scene 
changes,  and  the  impetuous  water  finds  its  own  varied  and  rapid  way  by  rocks 
and  lifts,  and  throws  itself  with  bold  grace  over  each  imjierfinent  obstacle. 
Few  railway-rides  can  be  more  charming  than  that  fi-om  Easton  to  Mauch 
Chunk,  along  the  banks  (if  lliis  river.     The   travelei- is   ti'eated   to  eveiy  varie- 


MODJ'JKX  PERIOD. 


221 


Home    of    Judge    Ast     paekei 


ty  of  placid  mei  ^ie^\ 
before  tlie  giand  and 
sublime  vista  breaks 
upon    him    whicb     is 

opened  by  tlie  Lehigh  Gap.     Then  come  valley,  moun- 
tain, and  glen,  untU  the  unrivaled  gorge  at  Mauch  Chunk        .  •' 
reveals  itself,  as  a  sudden  tui-n  round  a  modest  eleva- 
tion of  seven  hundred  feet  brings  the  railway-carriage 

to  this  hemmed-in,  picturesque,  and  beautiful  spot.  The  limitless  coal-trade  of 
the  Lehigh  Valley  sends  through  this  gorge  long,  serpent-like  trains  of  coal-cars, 
and  no  sooner  has  one  black,  sinuous  snake  disappeared,  than  another  takes  its 
place.  They  crawl  not  noiselessly  but  perpetually,  these  trains  of  black  dia- 
monds ;  and  then  on  other  tracks  come  dashing  the  heavy  freights  of  humanity 
— such  a  conglomerate  of  railway-tracks,  such  a  whizzing  of  engines,  is  rarely 
heard ;  it  is  the  one  drawback  to  the  pleasures  of  the  scenery.     But  after  the 


222  'I'tn-'    HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 

visitor  has  Avatclit'd  tlie  untiriui!;  labor  of  lueii  wlm  have  dug  out  the  iron  from 
these  toweriiiir  luouutaius,  aucl  exhumed  five  niillion  tons  of  coal  in  one  yeai", 
the  question  naturally  arises :  "  Whose  brain  held  the  motive  power  to  set  all 
these  giants  in  motion  '.  \^\w  caused  these  iron  roads  to  penetrate  these  rocky 
bluffs  through  such  formidable  obstructions,  through  these  solid  and  intenni- 
nable  beds  of  limestone  ?  Who  has  moved  these  inert  masses,  and  who  has 
made  this  singular  gorge,  Avhere  Nature  has  defended  her  solitudes  and  her 
hidden  treasures  by  such  elaborate  defenses,  such  sullen  and  fi'owning  for- 
tresses, to  yield  up  its  key  to  his  '  Open  sesame,'  and  concpered  her  very  rocks 
and  rivers  as  his  slaves  ? "  The  people  answer,  echoing  the  name  of  the  man 
who  made  himself  a  millionaire,  and  contributed  to  the  wealth  of  his  neighbor- 
hood thousands  of  millions  by  creating  these  industries. 

Judge  Packer's  fame  does  not  stop  here  among  the  triumphs  of  engineering. 
Not  content  \\ith  couipiering  Nature,  he  turned  benignly  toward  the  education 
of  the  multitude.  He  founded  Lehigh  University,  Anth  an  endowment  of  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  his  purpose  being  to  furnish  liberal  and  polytechnic 
instruction  to  such  }ouug  men  as  Avould  accept  and  profit  by  it.  His  a\t11,  so 
recently  published  to  the  world,  shows  how  deeply  his  s}Tupathies  were  enlisted 
in  the  cause  of  education — his  late  bequests,  in  addition  to  former  gifts  to  the 
institution,  amounting  to  not  less  than  three  and  a  half  million  doUare,  the 
fruits  of  which  will  influence  thousands  of  the  gi"eat  human  family  who  may 
never  hear  his  name. 

"  Ogontz,"  the  former  liome  of  Jay  Cooke,  the  great  American  financier, 
near  Philadelphia,  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  expensive  private  residences 
ever  projected  in  this  country  by  an  American  citizen.  It  is  a  vast  pile, 
one  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet  long,  and  contains  seventy  rooms,  exclusive 
of  the  servants'  ai>artments.  It  is  built  of  granite,  ^\^th  heaxy  dark- wood 
doore,  the  trimming  of  the  xHndows  to  match.  It  is  grand  and  impressive 
in  its  immensity,  and  its  workmanship  is  thorough  and  sincere.  An  elegant 
Italian  wall  with  vases  outlines  the  sweep  beyond  the  main  entrance,  and  the 
verandas  run  in  matchless  extent  to  the  rear,  where  the  house  folds  its  enor- 
mous wings  around  a  conservatory.  Looking  from  this  conservatory  down  a 
long  walk,    through    licds  of    roses  and   outlines  <it'  hedges,  a  very  i^'ood   inii- 


MODERN   PERIOD. 


223 


tation  ruin  may  be  seen,  copied  probably  from  Dryburgli  Abbey,  where  real 
vines  float  over  mimic  Gothic  window-spaces.  Over  the  conservatoiy  is  a 
sort  of  upper  portico  inclosed  in  wii'e  trellis,  wliicli  when  covered  with  vines 


Ogonlz,       former    Residence    of    Jay    Cooke. 


is  exquisite.  The  cost  of  Ogontz  was  somewhat  over  two  million  dollars,  and 
to  support  and  keep  it  in  order  would  require  an  expenditure  annually  of  at 
least  sixty  thousand  dollars. 


224 


THE    HOMES    OF   AMElilCA. 


The  fine  Tudor-dotbic  granite  and  brown-stone  \  ilia  of  J.  Pratt  McKean, 
of  Gennantowii,  Pennsylvania,  is  a]>]M-(>a('lie(l   l)y  a  luim--  and  finished  avenue  of 


Home    of    J.     Pratt     McKen 

large  trees,  ineludinL:'  limes, 
niajjles,  and  elms,  'i'he  man- 
sion is  in  singular  arehitee- 
tural  harmony,  a  nolde  and 
thoroughly  refined  structure, 
Avith    vines    of    English    ivy 

l)reaking   the   gray    color  into  patches  of   green.     It    is  one    of    the 
jilaces   of    this   country,   and   an   almost   ])erfect   summer   residence,      it 
lii'oad,    lif.autiful   sweep  of    lawn,  ]il.nited    with   \hh\s  of   ger.aniums   an<l 
the  sweet    soliliid.'s   hi'okeii    l.y  the   plashing  of   fountains.  ;in<l   its  I'enu 


sn]ierl) 

has  a 

I  roses, 

lie  and 


310 BERN'  PERIOD.  225 

ample  borders  defined  by  hedges.  The  house  is  divided  into  spacious  and 
handsome  rooms,  filled  with  excellent  copies  of  famous  pictures,  bronzes,  mar- 
bles, mosaics  from  Venice  and  Rome,  all  the  delightful  accumulations  of  foreign 
travels — ^treasures  which  tell  of  the  culture  that  knows  how  to  use  wealth,  to 
illustrate  and  emphasize  prosperity,  and  of  the  accomplishments  which  are 
much  more  than  wealth.  Some  family  portraits  of  honorable  pre-Revolutionary 
ancestors  bear  the  sign-manuals  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  and  of  Sir  Thomas 
Lawrence,  and  several  Copleys  are  among  the  art-treasures.  A  carved  oaken 
staircase  dignifies  the  hall,  which  is  broad  and  baronial ;  also  a  carved  oaken 
fireplace,  \A\h  its  pile  of  logs  and  its  high  andirons.  The  wide  doors  at  each 
end,  opposite  each  other,  when  both  thro^vn  open,  give  lovely  glimpses  of  the 
grounds,  with  their  greenhouses,  their  rare  exotics,  their  choice  fruits,  their 
finely  kept  graveled  walks,  their  never-ending  luxuries,  their  constantly  sug- 
gesting possibilities.  Horace  should  have  descriljed  these  with  his  sense  of  the 
luxury  and  refinement  which  may  accompany  a  country-life,  and  his  apprecia- 
tion of  the  elegances  of  the  villas  of  Maecenas. 

Of  exceptional  interest  at  this  particular  period  of  American  history  is 
the  Ohio  home  of  President  Rutherford  Birchard  Hayes.  It  is  situated 
in  Fremont,  a  pleasant,  thriving  toAvn  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Erie,  and  is 
known  as  "  Spiegel  Grove."  The  house,  standing  in  the  center  of  some  thirty 
densely  wooded  acres,  is  reached  by  a  Avinding  carriage-drive,  roofed  with  the 
interlaced  boughs  and  branches  of  slender  trees,  which  when  gay  with  foliage 
effectually  intercept  the  sixn's  rays,  as  also  no  insignificant  portion  of  theii*  re- 
flected light.  It  was  the  darkness,  together  with  the  traditional  ghost  originally 
pervading  this  picturesque  domain,  that  gave  it  the  name  of  "  Spiegel  Grove." 

The  dwelling  of  the  sketch  was  built  by  Sardis  Birchard,  the  imcle  and  the 
devoted  guardian  (through  his  youthful  years)  of  our  present  Chief  Magis- 
trate. Mr.  Bu-chard  was  a  man  of  extensive  culture,  of  artistic  tastes,  of  great 
practical  force  of  character,  and  of  highest  social  and  benevolent  qualities.  He 
lived  unmamed,  and  in  the  course  of  a  long  life  amassed  a  large  property, 
which  President  Hayes  inherited.  He  was  active  in  the  public  and  corporate 
works  of  progress  in  northern  Ohio — the  improvement  of  navigation,  of  ves- 
sel-building, of    the  Western  Reserve,   and  Maumee   Road,  a  national  work ; 


226  7'//^/-'   HOMES    OF   A}n:nTCA. 

also  of  the  Toledo,  Nonvalk  and  Cleveland  Kailway,  of  which  lie  was  the 
main  support  at  the  lteginnin<r.  In  1851  he  became  one  of  a  hankintj  firm 
that  in  l^O;}  merged  into  the  Fii-st  Nati<mal  Bank  of  Fremont,  to  which  tomi 
he  gave  a  pul)lic  park  in  1871  ;  and  in  1873  he  bestowed  upon  the  same  com- 
munity an  endo\\-nient  of  fifty  thousand  (K)llai-s  for  a  public  library,  cieating 
a  l)oard  of  trustees  io  take  charge.  He  also  gave  seven  thousand  dollai-s  to- 
ward the  building  of  the  Presbyteiian  church  in  Fremont,  liberally  aided  the 
other  chuich  organizations,  and  was  a  contributor  to  all  charitable  objects.  He 
A\as  a  lo\er  of  art,  and  left  a  gallery  of  pictures  to  President  Hayes,  including 
works  by  some  of  the  best  American  and  modern  French  and  German  paintei-s. 
Immediately  sun-ounding  the  house  trees  have  given  place  to  handsome 
law'ns  and  smiling  gardens,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  superb  oaks  and  hem- 
locks, which  have  been  left  standing  in  pairs  with  charming  effect.  Upon 
tliree  sides  of  the  edifice  are  broad  verandas,  the  posts  of  w'hich  are  adorned 
with  honeysuckle  and  AVisteria  vines ;  the  spacious  flower-gardens  are  to  the 
right,  reaching  off  in  a  westerly  direction,  the  beds  laid  out  in  crosses,  cuives, 
half -moons,  diamonds,  and  other  unique  designs,  and  blossoming  in  the  bright 
summer  days  ■with  violets  and  I'oses,  and  all  the  pretty  vagaries  of  the  floral 
kingdom.  Choice  shinibs  of  a  great  variety  of  descriptions  vary  the  scene, 
Avhile  just  beyond,  grape-arbors,  strawberry-patches,  currant,  raspberry,  and 
other  bushes,  and  peach,  plum,  pear,  apple,  and  cherry  trees,  are  the  signs  of 
promise  to  such  guests  as  dote  on  the  fine  fruit  of  Ohio.  A  quaint  little  rest- 
ing-spot  among  the  garden  beauties  is  "  Boffin's  Bower,"  over  wdiich  woodbine 
creeps  in  its  oavu  sweet  way,  and  roses  of  many  varieties  nod  their  blushing 
heads  wherever  there  is  a  chance  to  peep  through  the  vines  upon  the  romance- 
inspired  occupants  of  the  seats  within.  Not  far  from  this  bewitching  bower  is 
an  old-fashioned  pump — an  object  sufliciently  picturesque  to  be  stolen  by  an 
artist  and  planted  in  the  front  walk.  The  mansion  is  large  and  comfortable. 
The  jiarlor  opens  to  the  right  of  the  broad  entrance-hall,  which  leads  to  the 
family  sitting-room.  Both  these  apariments  are  a]ipropriately  furnished,  and 
the  walls  are  hung  with  rare  and  interesting  paintings.  A  large  sleeping-room 
opens  out  of  the  sitting-room.  Beyond  these  rooms,  separated  by  a  hall  loiu- 
nintr  across  the  house  from  east  to  west,  with  doors  leading  to  the  verandas — 
and  ill  which  an  antii|iic  New  Kngland   cluck  ticks  ciivunispcctly  —  is  a  wcll-ap- 


MODERN   PERIOI). 


Spiegel    Grove— the    Ohio    Home    of    President    Hayes 


pointed  dining-room,  sufficiently  ample  in  its  dimensions  for  the  accommodation 
of  a  large  household.  The  kitchens  are  ujjon  the  same  floor.  Still  farther  on 
is  a  Gothic  building,  of  which  a  glimpse  is  given  in  the  sketch,  designed  for  an 
office,  but  connected  so  as  to  form  a  part  of  the  main  edifice. 

The  second  story  is  divided  into  seven  apartments,  three  of  which  are  filled 


228  '/'///•;  HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

with  valuable  hooks.  The  liln'ary  of  Mr.  Hiivhard  is  in  front,  directly  over 
the  parlor,  and  remains  ehiefly  as  he  left  it  at  Lis  death,  which  occurred  in 
1874;  it  contains  some  of  his  favorite  pictures,  one  of  which  is  a  Paid  AVeber. 
Two  good-sized  apartments  beyond  are  devoted  to  the  private  library  of  Presi- 
dent Hayes.  Tliey  are  crowded  with  works  of  a  suljstantial  and  instructive 
character  iipou  innumerable  topics,  and  it  is  noticeable  that  those  which  seem 
to  have  been  the  most  read  are  the  volumes  whose  substance  is  of  vastly 
greater  importance  than  theii'  form.  There  is  abundant  evidence  among  these 
tomes  of  the  President's  love  of  metaphysics ;  and  the  department  of  his- 
tory is  especially  full,  embracing  nearly  all  the  important  works  of  American 
history,  and  apparently  everything  that  has  been  written  about  the  great  sov- 
ereign State  of  Ohio,  which  honored  him  in  many  ways,  not  leiist  among  which 
was  the  choosing  of  him  Governor  for  the  third  time  in  1875,  after  a  campaign 
in  which  the  chief  issue  was  resumption  or  inflation. 

President  Hayes  was  born  in  1822,  in  Delaware,  a  delightfully  picturestpie 
town,  now  of  some  eight  thousand  inhal)itants,  situated  on  the  borders  of  the 
Olentangy  Rivei-,  in  central  ()hii\  the  seat  of  a  college  and  of  a  popular  young 
ladies'  school,  in  the  midst  of  the  richest  farming  region  of  the  State — a  sui'- 
passingly  lovely  country.  His  father,  Rutherford  Hayes,  had  i'emove<l  from 
New  England  to  this  place  in  1817.  His  mother  was  Sophia  Birchard.  And 
w  ith  them  came  Sardis  Birchard,  her  younger  brother,  then  a  boy  of  sixteen. 
Five  years  later  the  husband  died,  and  IMrs.  Hayes  was  left  with  the  care  of 
three  fatherless  children,  over  whom  this  brother  exercised  the  tender  guardian- 
ship to  ^vhich  I'eference  has  already  been  made.  She  dwelt  in  a  substantial 
l)rick  house  in  Delaware,  and  was  regai'ded  as  a  lady  of  rare  strength  and 
beauty  of  character.  The  social  and  educational  influences  which  surrounded 
the  family  ^vere  of  the  best  in  the  land,  therefore  it  is  not  suri^rising  that  the 
President  and  his  sister  (the  oldest  son  of  Mrs.  Hayes  was  dro^\^led)  ac(iuired 
an  early  taste  for  the  graver  and  matui-er  soi-t  of  literature ;  they  read  Hume's 
and  Smollett's  English  histoiy  together,  and  the  sister  of  twelve  interpreted 
Shakespeare  to  the  brother  of  ten.  They  together  pored  over  the  j>oetry  of 
Moore,  they  dramatized  Scott's  "  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  and  they  studied  the  same 
lessons  in  Latin  and  (ireek.  M  fourteen  yeare  of  age  the  future  President  was 
sent  totheacadeniv  at  Norwalk,  Ohio;  and  was  afterward  for  a  time  at  a  school 


MODERN  FElilOD.  229 

in  Middletown,  Connecticut,  during  lii,s  preparation  for  college.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  Keuyon  College,  Gambler,  Ohio,  in  1842 — the  valedictorian  of  his 
class.  Destined  for  a  lawyer,  he  began  his  legal  studies  the  same  year  in  the 
office  of  Sparrow  and  Matthews,  prominent  lawyers  in  Columbus.  Within  a 
few  months  it  was  decided  that  he  should  enter  the  Harvard  Law  School  at 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1845.  "While  here 
he  not  only  pm-sued  his  law  reading,  but  continued  the  study  of  German,  re- 
viewed his  French  and  Greek,  nourished  his  love  of  letters,  and  widened  his 
acc^uaiutauce  ■with  literatui'e  in  all  directions.  Life  for  him  at  Cambridge 
was  full  of  richness  and  variety ;  he  had  come  face  to  face  with  author- 
ship, and  with  the  men  whose  books  had  long  been  his  fast  friends ;  he 
listened  -with  avidity  to  the  lectures  of  Mr.  Longfellow,  President  Sparks, 
and  the  younger  Dana,  and  heard  the  speeches  of  Webster,  Choate,  John 
Quincy  Adams,  Winthrop,  and  Mi-.  Bancroft.  He  had  already  begun  to  take 
a  lively  interest  in  politics,  in  public  men,  and  public  afJaii's.  While  business 
was  accumulating  upon  his  hands  after  he  commenced  practice  at  the  bar, 
his  reading  was  as  great  and  as  varied  as  that  of  most  men  in  literary  life. 
And,  keeping  abreast  with  the  general  publications  of  the  day,  he  was 
under  constant  self -training  in  the  art  of  Judging  men.  He  always  kept  a 
note-book  or  diary,  and  these  relics  disclose  his  life-long  study  of  politics ; 
thus,  when  elevated  to  the  Presidency,  he  was  prepared  for  its  duties  through 
familiarity  mth  the  events  which  had  gone  before.  And  no  better  index  to 
his  Avell-rounded  character  and  refined  pi-inciples  of  action  exists  than  the 
titles  of  these  much-used  volumes  in  their  restful  seclusion  within  his  Ohio 
home,  which  have  been  from  time  to  time  in  the  past  his  chosen  com23anions. 

There  is  an  atmosj^here  of  quiet  comfort,  of  cultivated  tastes,  and  of  self- 
respectful  independence  about  "  Spiegel  Grove "  which  is  strictly  in  keeping 
with  the  nature  of  the  philanthropic  founder  of  this  mral  home ;  and  the 
winds,  in  their  fitful  breathings,  seem  to  whisper  of  loving  hearts  who  choose 
to  preserve  the  legacy  in  the  same  general  style  as  when  the  venerated  Sar- 
dis  Birchard  was  its  presiding  genius. 

The  former  residence  of  Noah  H.  Swayne,  Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  at  Washington,  is  situated  in  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  less  than  half 


230 


Till-:    HOMES    OF  AM  F.RICA. 


a  mile  from  the  State-House.  It  is  built  of  brick,  and  is  solid,  substantial,  and 
slightly  antifjue.  Its  apartments  are  spacious  as  well  as  numerous,  the  edifice 
extending  to  a  considerable  depth  in  the  rear.  The  drawing-rooms  are  upon 
the  right  of  the  entrance,  and  a  reception-room  or  library  opens  to  the  left;  in 
the  rear  of  the  latter  is  a  large  family  parlor,  with  a  veranda  looking  off  upon 
cultivated  grounds,  wliich  has  been  the  favorite  after-dinner  seat  for  the  Gov- 
ernor-residents of  the  house  and  their  guests  through  many  long  yeare. 


Tiie    Swayne    Mansion,    Columbus,    Ohio. 


Soon  after  the  ap]>ointmeiit  of  Judge  Swayne  ])y  President  Lincoln,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 18(>*2,  a  Justice  of  the  Su])reine  Court,  he  removed  his  f.-iinily  from  Co- 
luiiilius  to  Washington,  ;iii(l  liis  <  )liio  home  became  iiKK'cil  a  gubernatorial  niau- 
siou.      It  was  occupied    iVoiii   .biiiuary,  ISfK!,  until   January,  1808,  by  tiovernor 


MODERN  PERIOD.  231 

Jacob  D.  Cox,  afterward  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  President  Hayes  was  the 
next  Governor  of  Ohio,  his  first  two  terms  of  office  extending  from  1868  to 
1872 — the  third  from  1875  to  1876 — and  he  resided  in  this  mansion  the  greater 
part  of  that  jJeriod.  After  him  Governor  Edward  F.  Noyes  was  inducted 
into  office,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  this  commodious  dwelling,  residing  here 
from  January,  1872,  to  January,  1874.  In  size,  situation,  and  arrangement, 
the  house  was  admirably  adapted  for  the  convenience  of  these  distinguished 
officials.  The  dining-room,  beyond  the  double  drawing-rooms,  is  a  large,  cheer- 
ful apartment,  seemingly  invested,  however,  with  a  governing  atmosphere,  as  if 
the  spirits  of  the  numerous  Governors  whose  voices  have  echoed  through  its 
halls  had  been  left  in  charge  for  the  benefit  of  future  potentates.  The  exten- 
sive grounds  are  well  laid  out,  and  are  alive  Avith  choice  shrubs  and  bright-col- 
ored flowers  ;  while  fine  old  trees  in  great  profusion  adorn  the  outskirts,  and 
hold  the  posts  of  honor  at  each  side  of  the  entrance  gate  in  front. 

Judge  Swayne  was  bom  in  Culpepper  County,  Vii'ginia,  in  1804.  He  was 
the  youngest  of  the  five  children  of  Joshua  Swayne,  a  descendant  of  Francis 
Swayne,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father  died  in  1808, 
and  he  was  trained  into  manhood  by  his  mother,  a  lady  of  remarkable  Wgor  of 
mind  and  excellence  of  character.  He  studied  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  before  he  was  twenty,  settling  in  Ohio.  In  1829  he  was  elected  to  the 
Ohio  Legislature,  and  soon  after  was  appointed  United  States  Attorney  for 
Ohio,  removing  to  Columbus,  where  the  courts  were  held.  In  1832  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Ann  Wager,  of  Hai^per's  Feriy,  Virginia,  who  with  other  property 
inherited  a  large  number  of  slaves.  These,  by  the  joint  wishes  of  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Swayne,  were  at  once  manumitted.  During  his  residence  in  the  mansion 
of  the  sketch  he  was  engaged  in  many  important  legal  controversies,  and  de- 
voted his  energies  wth  great  zeal  to  the  establishment  of  asylums — serving  as 
a  ti-ustee  for  many  years  in  that  for  the  Blind,  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  and  for 
Lunatics,  all  of  which  have  been  so  admirably  conducted  in  Ohio. 

The  accuracy  and  erudition  of  his  judicial  labors  have  been  widely  appre- 
ciated. Every  occupation  and  vicissitude  of  his  life  has  been  accompanied  and 
sustained  by  enthusiastic  study  of  ancient  and  modern  literature  and  general  in- 
formation. As  a  recognition  of  the  studies  of  a  lifetime  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
has  been  conferred  upon  him  by  the  colleges  of  Yale,  Dartmouth,  and  Marietta. 


232  'I'Jt'-    HOLIES    OF  AMICRK'A. 

"Elmbui-st,"  the  \illa  of  Hon.  William  S.  Groesbeck,  occupies  a  thickly 
wooded  eiiiineiK-t'  upon  tlie  bank  of  the"  curving  Ohio,  in  the  channiug  suburb 
of  Cincinnati  know  ii  as  Walnut  Hills.  The  grounds  comprise  some  twenty- 
five  acres,  stocknl  with  almost  eveiy  variety  of  the  elm  and  the  oak,  some  of 
which  are  of  immense  size,  also  with  the  beech,  the  a.sh,  the  poplar,  the  sugar- 
maple,  and  some  of  the  oldest  lindens  in  the  country.  Nothing  but  an  impos- 
ing gateway,  with  a  broad  avenue  disappearing  among  the  trees,  can  be  seen 
from  the  street.  The  mansion  is  very  large,  mth  a  solidity  of  aspect  which 
promises  to  resist  the  A\ear  of  centuries,  and  is  finished  and  decoi-ated  \\\t\i 
severe  elegance.  It  is  Ixiilt  of  blue  limestone — one  of  the  products  of  Ohio 
which  seems  to  be  shooting  from  the  soil  into  all  manner  of  beautiful  dwell- 
ings. The  entrance  is  grand  and  effective.  From  the  vestibule  we  pass  over  a 
marble  tloor  into  a  great  central  hall,  reaching  to  the  roof — with  balconies  bor- 
dering each  story — from  which  all  the  numerous  rooms  of  the  edifice  apparently 
open.  To  the  left  of  the  entrance  is  a  reception-room,  which  opens  into  hand- 
somely furnished  dra^ving-rooms ;  to  the  right  is  a  large,  well-filled  library,  the 
windows  of  which  look  out  upon  the  covered  veranda  shown  in  the  sketch. 
Beyond  the  lil)rary  is  a  spacious  and  handsome  dining-room,  with  a  bay-window 
that  affords  entrancing  glimpses  of  the  Ohio  River  through  the  foliage.  Be- 
yond this  is  a  cozy  breakfast-room.  The  galleiy  devoted  to  paintings  and 
statuary,  containing  choice  and  valuable  works  of  art,  is  directly  in  front  of  the 
main  entrance,  at  the  remote  end  of  the  house,  and  is  reached  by  a  few  gentle 
steps  from  the  central  hall.  The  chambers  are  delightfully  arranged,  eveiy 
window  possessing  its  own  individual  vista  and  picturesque  \new.  In  the  third 
story  is  a  billiard-room,  and  also  a  private  chapel. 

Mr.  Groesbeck  is  a  man  of  elegant  leisure,  save  the  care  of  his  property, 
and  of  literary  and  scholarly  tastes.  He  iidierited  wealth  from  his  fathei-,  one 
of  the  early  citizens  of  Cincinnati,  and  he  married  a  lady  of  wealth.  Mrs. 
Groesbeck  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Judge  Jacob  Burnet,  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  city  of  Cincinnati  and  one  of  the  framei-s  of  the  State  Constitution  of 
Ohio,  and  the  granddaughter  of  Dr.  William  I'ui-net,  of  Newark,  New  Jei-sey, 
Surgeon-Cxeneral  of  the  American  amiy  in  the  Revolution  -a  descendant  of 
the  celebrated  English  ])relate  Bishop  riiiniet.  Mi-,  (iioeslieek  devotes  his 
leisure  chiefly  to  1 ks,  and  is  an  attentive  oliserver  of  cuiTent  politieal  i-vents. 


MODERN  PERIOD. 


233 


Elmhurst,"     Home    of    William    S.     Groesbeck. 


He  is  a  la^^yer,  but  has  not  applied  himself  to  practice  at  tlie  bar.  In  tlie 
large  sense,  lie  is  a  public  mau.  He  occupied  a  seat  in  Congress  during  Bu- 
cliauan's  Administration,  and  subsequently  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  Ohio. 
He  gained  national  reputation  by  his  argument  as  counsel  for  Pi-esident  An- 
drew Johnson  in  the  impeachment  trial.  He  has  I'ecently  been  a  delegate  to 
the  International  Coinage  Conference  at  Paris  by  appointment  of  President 
Hayes. 

It  has  been  truthfiilly  said  that  no  inland  city  in  the  world  sui-jiasses  Cin- 


234  'Z'^^'^-'    U<>yTF^>^    <^V  AMERICA. 

cinnati  in  the  1)eauty  of  its  suburhs.  This  great,  prosperous  coiiwration  of 
two  liniulrt'd  and  fifty  thousand  inhaljitants  (nt)t  yet  one  liundred  yeai-s  ohl) 
lies  on  a  natural  plateau  some  twelve  miles  in  circumference,  liisected  by  the 
gleaming,  winding  Ohio  River,  entirely  sunoundcMl  by  hills  thi'ce  hundred  feet 
in  heiirht,  forming  one  of  the  most  striking  natural  amiihitheatres  to  be  found 
anywhere.  The  magnitude  and  costliness  of  the  villa  lesidences  which  cro\NTi 
these  tree-inclustered,  picturesque,  and  ciicliaiitiiig  heights,  so  astonished  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle's  party  a  few  years  since — one  of  whom  was  the  Piince  of 
"^^''ales — that  they  ])ronounced  the  whole  coml)inatiou  of  landscape  and  dwell- 
iniT  the  finest  they  had  ever  seen.  Walnut  Hills  is  five  miles  from  the  heart  of 
Cincinnati,  and  inclu<les  a  wide  extent  of  territory.  The  Grandin  Koad,  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  <lrives  in  this  section,  runs  along  the  undulating  bluff 
of  the  Oliio,  and  is  lined  with  all  styles  of  architectural  achievement — chiefly 
of  stone.  Each  mansion  stands  in  the  midst  of  extensive  and  highly  culti- 
vated grounds,  brilliant  with  flowers.  It  is  like  a  perpetual  park  for  miles, 
antl  the  tine  dwellings  are  so  numerous  that  the  mere  mention  of  them  would 
read  like  an  invoice.  The  liome  of  Joseph  Longworth,  who  gave  the  city 
fifty  thousand  dollars  to  establish  an  art-school,  is  approached  by  a  curving 
private  avenue  froni  this  road.  His  house  contains  an  art-gallery  lighted  from 
the  roof,  filled  \\\i\\  a  valuable  collection  of  paintings,  among  which  are  some 
of  the  finest  Achenbachs  in  the  coimtry.  A  handsome  villa  adjoining  is  the 
residence  of  George  Ward  Nichols,  author  of  a  recent  ^vork  on  ceramics,  who 
married  Longworth's  daughter.  The  se([uestered  nooks  of  Avondale  are  a  per- 
petual charm,  and  the  entieiiig  homes,  with  their  highly  ornamented  grounds, 
as  thick  as  the  stars  in  a  moonless  sky.  Among  the  eight  spacious  public 
parks  for  which  Cincinnati  is  famous,  Burnet  AVoods  is  the  second  in  size,  con- 
taining one  hundred  and  seventy  acres.  It  was  ]iurchased  from  the  heirs  of 
Judge  Burnet  in  1872,  and  reposes  upon  one  of  the  hills  nmth  of  the  city. 
To  Mr.  Groesbeck  Cincinnati  is  indebted  for  a  music-endowment  iund  of  fifty 
thousand  dollai-s,  the  income  of  which  is  to  support  concerts  in  this  i>ark  ;  thus 
music  is  here  ]irovi(le(i  fi'ee  for  all  time. 

The  villa  of   llenr\    Probaseo   is  the  most  famous  of  any  within  tlie  wildt-r- 
ness   of  villas    wlndi    cmw  n    the    Invelv    hills   of  Clifton — which    is   somewhat 


MODERX  PERIOD.  235 

nearer  Cincinnati  tliaii  Avondale.  Mr.  Pi'oljasco  was  the  donor  of  the  o-reat 
bronze  fountain  \\hicli  adorn.s  Cincinnati — of  which  every  one  has  heard.  lie 
is  said  to  have  been  fifteen  years  in  designing  and  buikling  his  home,  which 
stands  in  tlie  midst  of  t\venty-seven  acres,  in  tlie  higliest  state  of  cultivation, 
containing  shrubs  and  plants,  as  well  as  shade-trees,  imported  from  every  part 
of  the  habitable  globe.  The  entrance  to  the  grounds  is  through  the  finest  gate- 
way of  wrought-iron  in  America,  with  excpiisitely  executed  ornaments  of  oak- 
leaves  and  acorns ;  the  ^vorkmen  are  said  to  have  been  occupied  for  three  years 
on  this  alone. 

The  architecture  of  the  dwelling  is  Nonnan,  and  blue  limestone  from  the 
Ohio  quarries  is  the  material  of  which  it  is  constructed.  The  towei'  is  round, 
and  sufficiently  ample  in  its  dimensions  for  the  accommodation  of  a  tea-party 
of  fifty  persons.  The  entrances  are  upon  two  sides,  and  through  magnifi- 
cent stone  porches  Avith  Norman  arches,  the  one  in  front  being  shown  in  our 
sketch.  It  is  impossible  for  the  mind  to  conceive  a  more  harmonious  and  in- 
viting interior  than  opens  upon  the  visitor  after  passing  the  portals.  Every 
room  is  a  separate  study.  The  walls  are  all  wainscoted  with  the  white  oak  of 
Ohio,  combined  with  the  red  cedar  of  Tennessee,  highly  polished  and  embel- 
lished -with  the  most  ex(pxisite  carvings — the  designs  embracing  the  poke,  the 
thistle,  and  the  oak-leaf ;  the  carved  wood  about  the  bay--\vindow  in  the  jjarlor 
represents  a  trailing  honeysuckle.  The  ceilings  were  j^ainted  )jy  artists 
brought  from  Italy.  All  the  chandeliers  are  of  pure  bronze  in  vlolssoimee 
enamel. 

The  furniture  of  the  house  was  modeled  with  sjiecial  reference  to  its  archi- 
tectural features,  and  is  of  exceptionally  fine  workmanship.  Exjiensive  pic- 
tures are  upon  every  side.  Upon  a  carved  easel  of  white  t)ak  rests  an  exquisite 
landscape  by  Rousseau,  which  you  admii'e,  leaning  upon  a  piano  with  a  satin 
embroidered  cover.  You  are  doubtless  in  the  parl(jr,  although  the  whole  house 
strikes  you  as  one  enormous  picture-gallery  ;  and  marljles,  mosaics,  and  gems 
of  art  in  a  thousand  forms  greet  you  eveiywhere.  Now  your  eye  falls  upon  a 
glass  mosaic  table  from  Venice,  with  ebony  and  mosaic  pedestal,  designed  and 
executed  by  Salviati,  the  Venetian  professor ;  and  presently  you  are  studying 
a  circular  table  in  Roman  mosaic,  three  or  more  yards  in  diameter,  illustrating 
"  Petrarch's  Triumph  of  Love,"  which  rests  upon  a  superb  carved-oak  pedestal. 


236  'I'"'-   iro^fi''^   Of'  .i.v/:/!/c.i. 

Turning  from  these  \(>u  arc  confronted  \\  itli  an  eU'iraiit  painting  by  Hugues 
Merit',  "The  Woman  and  the  Secret";  in  the  same  vicinity  is  a  painting  by 
Iiiefstahl,  called  "  Tlie  Swiss  Peasants."  Other  paintings  of  striking  interest 
ncai-  these  are  "  Elizabeth  and  Fredeiick  of  Bohemia  receiving  News  of  the 
Loss  of  the  liattle  of  Prague,"  and  "  C'lorinda  delivering  the  MartjTs,"  the  last 
being  from  the  lu'ush  of  Ferdinand  Victor  Eugene. 

One  of  the  many  art-curiosities  in  the  grand  entrance-hall  (sixteen  by  sev- 
enty feet)  is  a  large  Roman  mosaic  picture,  sixty  inches  long.  Still  more  inter- 
esting is  an  art-clock  designed  for  the  house,  in  bronze  and  niello,  the  face  and 
fio-ures  in  ivory.  Some  verd-antit|ue  pedestals,  fi'om  Cardinal  Tosti's  palace  at 
Rome,  di\ide  attention  with  a  pair  of  Sicilian  Jasper  tables,  antiques  from 
Palermo.  An  ex(iuisite  porphyry  gem  cabinet,  displaying  the  amethyst,  to- 
paz, emerald,  and  othei'  precious  stones,  with  silver  drawers  and  gilt-bronze 
ornaments,  is  hartlly  examined,  before  you  turn  to  obsen'e  pedestals  in  Egyp- 
tian red  granite,  in  Algerian  marble,  in  porphyiy,  and  in  Gregorian  mar- 
ble ;  while  vases  of  mediaeval  ivory,  of  cloiasonnee  enamel,  of  Sevres  ware  with 
serpent-handles,  and  one,  a  Spanish  vase  of  ii'on,  damascened  with  gold  and 
silver,  break  upon  your  view.  A  green  porphyry  va.se  and  stand  is  i)etted  liy 
its  owner  from  the  fact  that  it  can  not  be  duplicated.  The  mosaics  are  per- 
haps the  most  remarkable  of  these  various  and  costly  collections,  the  house 
containing,  aside  from  its  pictures  and  other  mosaic  treasures,  not  less  than 
thirteen  sui)ei'])  mosaic  tables  of  different  varieties,  each  one  of  \vhieli  woidd 
be  esteemed  a  masterpiece  of  beauty,  and  suificient  to  adorn  a  modest  home. 

And  yet  the  books  and  illuminated  manuscripts  on  vellum  in  different  lan- 
guages bear  us  oft"  in  triumph  and  ])nry  us.  The  libraiy  was  built  for  its 
jewels.  Here  are  one  hundred  or  nioic  rare  editions  of  the  Bible  in  costly  and 
unicpie  bindings;  one  copy  was  printed  in  1480,  another  in  1589  ;  still  another 
copy  is  bound  in  silver,  at  an  exjjense  of  one  thousand  dollars.  Here  are  also 
numerous  copies  of  Shakespeare,  Dante,  the  Aldine  and  Elzevir  classics ;  three 
hundred  or  more  volumes  printed  upon  vellum;  specimens  of  the  earliest  print- 
ing of  the  worlil ;  works  formerly  owned  by  illustrious  pereonages ;  examples 
of  bindings  of  early  Italian  and  French  workmanship,  in  leather,  mosaic,  niello, 
bronze,  and  ivory;  three  hundred  volumes  of  the  most  beautiful  etchings  in 
existence;  engravings,   an<l   other  artistic   productions,  in  countless  numbei-s ; 


MODERX   PERIOD. 


237 


and  riclily  illustrated  modem  works  of  great  cost.  The  libraiy-table  is  a 
specimen  of  fine  carving,  a  work  of  art  in  itself,  as  is  also  the  sideboard  in  the 
dining-room ;  the  ceiling  of  this  apartment  is  elegantly  frescoed,  and  the  wood- 
work displays  the  choicest  of  carving,  the  designs  all  drawn  from  nature.  The 
staircase  is  broad,  and  also  elaborately  carved,  while  its  walls  are  hung  with 
paintings  of  the  first  excellence.  One  of  these  is  by  the  great  German  artist, 
Kaulbach,  and  has  been  valued  at  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

It  was  the  son-in-law  of  Kaulbach,  August  von  Kreling,  of  Nuremberg,  who 
made  some  drawings  of  a  fountain  in  which  he  symbolized  the  manifold  uses 


238  'I'll''    ll'>MES    OF   AMERICA. 

and  lifiielits  of  water  tc.  man,  without  using  any  of  the  trite  enil)lenis  of 
heatlieu  mythology,  which  1  icing  submitted  to  Mr.  Proba^^co  wliile  in  Europe 
in  hS(i(>,  proved  to  be  sul)stantially  the  phui  for  wiiieh  he  was  in  search.  The 
adiniralilc  conception  of  the  artist  was  ehilioiatcd  with  the  most  generous 
strength  and  the  finest  tlelicacy,  by  Fritz  von  Miller,  under  the  tlirection  of 
Mr.  I'robasco,  at  a  cost  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  dollai-s  in  gold.  It  wa.s 
completed,  placed  in  the  centei'  of  a  broad  esplanade  extending  from  street 
to  street  and  shaded  with  trees,  henceforward  known  as  Probasco  Place,  and 
formally  presented  to  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  with  appro] triate  exercises,  October 

(!,  isn. 

There  is  not  a  figure  in  this  work  that  does  not  invite  study  and  grow  more 
beautiful  upon  examination,  or  that  does  not  make  itself  intelligible  to  the 
mind  wholly  unacquainted  with  mythology.  It  is  a  representation  of  American 
life  and  industry.  And  yet  such  has  been  the  felicitous  treatment  of  the  sub- 
jects introduced  that  it  is  severely  classical.  From  the  center  of  the  pedestal 
rises  a  shaft,  spreading  at  the  top  wdth  iuterlacetl  vines  and  foliage.  Around 
this  shaft  are  four  groups  of  figures,  ^vhi(•h  illustrate  the  needs  and  l)lessings 
of  water.  On  one  side  a  man  with  an  empty  bucket  stands  ujion  a  burning 
roof,  invoking  water  ;  on  the  other  a  fanner  is  imploring  rain  for  his  scorched 
crops  ;  over  these  the  central  cro^\^ling  figure — "  The  Genius  of  Water " — is 
dispensing  from  her  outstretched  hand  in  misty  spray  what  is  so  much  desired. 
The  remaining  two  groups  are  a  daughter  holding  to  her  sick  father's  lips  a 
goblet  of  water,  and  a  beautiful  mother  leading  her  sportively  reluctant  boy  to 
the  bath.  The  eight  other  figures  are  all  interesting,  and  in  the  whole  eoinbi- 
nation  there  is  not  ap])arently  a  hard  or  inexpressive  line  or  inharnionious  de- 
tail. And,  what  is  a  purely  Cincinnati  idea,  this  magnificent  fountain  not  only 
furnishes  water  to  the  thirsty  midtitule,  but  the  coolest  and  the  most  delicious 
of  ice-water. 

The  good  taste  of  Mr.  Prol>ii.sco,  so  notable  in  the  appointments  of  his 
liome,  and  so  conspicuously  immortalized  in  the  monument  of  his  munificence, 
is  displayed  throtighout  his  domain.  Upon  the  grounds  are  Kiss's  "Amazon," 
in  bronze;  "  Sans-Souci,"  by  Ives;  "The  Ueading  (Jirl,"  by  Magin  ;  "Ruth," 
by  Rogers ;  and  other  fine  marbles.  The  view  from  the  villa  forms  a  splendid 
panorama;  the  valley,  two  hundred  feet  below,  seems  like  a  thing  of  life  with 


MODERN  PERIOD.  239 

its  lines  of  railway-tracks,  its  ever-moving  trains,  its  trees  and  avenues,  and  its 
lovely  slopes  and  hills.  The  conservatory  is  one  of  the  felicities  of  the  place  ; 
and  the  rosarium  contains  four  thousand  roses,  besides  variegated  leaf-plants. 

Seemingly  in  the  same  grounds,  although  sepai'ated  by  lines  invisible  to  cu- 
rious eyes,  is  a  long,  rambling  stone  mansion,  covering  an  area  of  ten  thousand 
square  feet,  which,  like  some  lordly  castle  of  the  old  feudal  times,  lifts  its 
Gothic  towers  high  above  a  lawn  of  ext[uisite  richness.  It  is  "  Scai'let  Oaks," 
the  residence  of  George  K.  Shoeuberger.  It  is  of  the  French  domestic  order 
of  architectiu'e,  the  main  tower  rising  eighty  feet  high,  and  the  roof  of  blue 
slate.  The  walls  are  uncoursed  ashlar-work ;  the  entrance  is  through  a  massive 
cut-stone  poiiico.  Just  at  the  turn  of  the  avenue  from  here  are  the  gate  and 
lodge  to  the  former  residence  of  George  H.  Pendleton ;  the  house  is  of  brick, 
stuccoed,  A\ith  broad  porches.  The  greenhoiises  niimber  a  good  round  dozen, 
and  include  among  their  rich  native  and  exotic  flo^vers  ninety  varieties  of  ca- 
mellias, and  fifty  or  more  of  begonias  ;  there  is  also  a  banana-house  with  eight 
floui'ishing  banana-trees.  The  home  of  John  Shillito,  the  great  merchant  of  the 
central  West,  is  in  this  vicinity,  upon  Oak  Aveniie,  and  the  mansion  with  its 
grounds  covers  an  entire  scpiare.  It  is  of  the  Elizabethan  style  of  architecture, 
and  is  coustnicted  of  stone.  The  entrance,  an  imposing  stone  porch,  is  faced 
ANathiu  and  Avithout  with  tooled  stonework.  The  main  hall,  twenty  feet  A^^ide, 
contains  an  old  English  fireplace  for  wood,  above  which  is  a  curiously  Avrought 
walnut  mantel,  with  three  human  figures,  representing  Peace,  Plenty,  and  Har- 
mony. Mount  Auburn  presents  a  field  of  varied  architecture  (piite  as  interest- 
ing as  the  other  suburbs  of  Cincinnati,  but  we  can  only  pass  through  its  leafy 
and  enchanting  streets,  even  to  the  brink  of  the  dizzy  steep  where  elevators 
are  in  waiting,  and  where  the  whole  of  the  great,  busy  city  of  Cincinnati,  to- 
gether with  its  much-bridged  stretch  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  the  Kentucky 
hills  beyond,  may  be  all  taken  in  -with  one  sweep  of  the  eye. 

One  of  the  fashions  of  thirty  years  ago  was  to  call  everything  beyond  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  "  Western,"  as  though  the  term  was  sufficiently  descriptive, 
and  all  the  natm-al  features  of  the  country  and  its  cities  and  homes  precisely 
alike.  Even  the  great  and  famous  Western  rivers  wei'e  regarded  as  essential 
to  maps,  and  as  factors  of  the  drainage  system  of  a  continent — mere  means  of 


240  THE   HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

carrying  off  the  surplus  water  wlieii  it  rained — rather  tliaii  < injects  of  beauty 
and  interest,  playiui;  a  pai-t  in  tlie  life,  pleasures,  inia^^ination,  and  nieniories, 
of  the  peo2)le  wlio  founded  homes  along  their  l)anks.  The  Lakes  intei-posed 
themselves  in  the  way  of  travel  to  the  Northwest,  and  tossed  perpetually  an 
ever-streaming  population  from  ])oint  to  point  through  the  viist  regions  where 
majestic  forests  and  gracious  mountains  extend  a  never-ceasing  welcome.  And 
men  of  means,  juining  those  wlio  had  already  ar(juii'ed  fortunes  in  the  newer 
districts,  projected  all  manner  of  improvements,  laid  a  jieifect  network  of  rail- 
roads, established  eveiy  class  of  industry,  and  transformed  the  scene  into  a 
succession  of  fai-ms,  gardens,  commiinities,  and  cities,  for  thousands  and  tliou- 
sands  of  square  miles.  Eveiy  neighborhood,  city,  county,  and  State,  in  all 
this  extent  of  territory  has  a  character  of  its  own,  derived  chiefly  from  the 
people  who  settled  it.  Some  portions  of  Ohio  are  distinctively  New  England 
in  habits,  ideas,  and  modes  of  living,  and  in  no  wa>'  is  this  more  readily  re- 
vealed to  the  traveler's  eye  than  in  the  peculiarities  of  domestic  architecture. 
Then,  again,  the  redundant  pojiulation  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jei-sey  have 
naturally  drifted  into  southern  Ohio,  and  onward  through  the  same  latitude 
into  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  the  regions  beyond.  Every  town  has  its 
homes — those  that  are  tasteful,  and  indicate  the  refinement  of  breeding  and 
education  of  their  inmates  ;  and  also  those  that  are  inexpensive,  rustic,  and  plain 
— dwellings  of  the  lal)oi-er  and  the  mechanic.  One  can  not  travel  through  the 
rich  farming-regions  of  these  more  recently  cultivated  and  settled  portions  of 
America  \\-ithout  being  convinced  that,  after  all,  it  is  knowledge,  and  not  money, 
that  is  the  source  of  every  pleasuralde  emotion  caused  by  a  building.  It  seems 
to  be  undei-stood  and  aj^preciated  that  a  simple,  well] 'lam ud  structure  costs 
less  to  execute,  for  the  accommodation  obtained,  than  one  that  is  ill-jdanned  ; 
and  that  it  may  be  made  agreeable  and  effective  without  ornamentation  other- 
wise than  what  appertains  to  the  useful  and  necessary.  The  location,  also,  of 
the  humblest  cottages  reveals  a  growing  tendency  to  seize  whatever  beauties 
Nature  has  provided,  and  discovere  to  the  obsen'er,  however  crude,  a  pos- 
silile  love  for  art.  Industry  and  opportunity  among  the  w'orking-chisses  of 
America  are  ever  originating  visions  of  snug  countrv  liomes,  which  sooner  (U* 
later  become  realities.  The  piivatt-  landed  estate,  whatever  its  dimensions, 
grows  its  house.     Not   iiifiv.jucutly  the   laiidlioldcf  hiiiisclf  is  enough  of  a  car- 


MODERN  PERIOD.  241 

penter  to  erect  his  o>yn\  castle.  The  chances  are  that  he  will  commence  mod- 
estly, expanding  from  time  to  time :  a  wing  crops  out  on  one  side  this  year, 
and  a  wood-shed  in  the  rear  the  next.  Then  the  roof  rises.  Trailing  vines 
clamber  up  the  additional  height,  and  put  forth  their  flowers  in  saucy  arrogance 
above  little  clumps  of  peonies,  and  sweet-peas,  and  New  England  rose-bushes, 
which  have  found  their  way  into  the  garden-plats  through  some  mysterious 
agency.  And  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  if  there  is  a  body  of  ^\ater  in  the 
vicinity,  the  house  will  be  found  windowed  and  doored  with  special  reference 
to  the  views  to  be  obtained.  It  is  an  innate  homage  to  the  natural,  which, 
hindered  in  its  development  by  passing  influences  and  untoward  circumstances, 
and  attended  \\\\\i  all  manner  of  absurd  shortcomings,  furnishes  valuable 
proof  of  inherent  good,  trae,  and  healthy  taste,  such  as  exists  among  the  peas- 
antry of  no  other  country  in  all  Christendom. 

Cleveland  commands  one  of  the  fine  water-views  of  the  world.  Lake  Erie, 
with  its  ever-changing  hues,  stretching  off  to  the  north,  seemingly  ending  where 
the  sky-liue  begins.  The  subiu'bs  of  this  far-famed  beautifiil  city  are  filled  with 
elegant  country-seats,  bordering  broad  avenues  in  many  directions,  and  seem- 
ingly cast  in  the  midst  of  Old  World  parks  imported  especially  for  the  use  and 
gratification  of  the  citizens  of  the  city.  There  is  a  suggestion  of  antiquity  and 
dignity  in  the  wide-spreading  branches  of  the  lofty  trees,  and  in  tlie  perfection 
of  landscape-gardening  and  floriculture,  that  illy  accords  with  the  feeble  re- 
mains of  our  early  notions  of  Western  newness.  And  the  examples  of  unique 
and  costly  architecture  are  peqjetual.  But  Ohio  is  no  longer  the  "  West." 
Neither  is  Indiana  nor  Illinois.  The  a;reat  States  farther  on  are  teemiuo- 
mth  homes  which  represent  every  variety  of  thought,  feeling,  taste,  and  con- 
dition of  mankind. 

The  great  cities  are  individual  in  their  characteristics.  Berlin  is  scarcely 
more  different  from  Vienna  than  Chicago  from  Cincinnati.  There  is  one 
point  of  resemblance  between  C'hicago  and  Detroit — they  have  both  been 
nearly  consumed  ^\dth  fire  ;  but  in  other  respects  no  two  cities  could  be 
more  unlike.  Detroit  takes  the  precedence  in  age,  having  enjoyed  a  legiti- 
mate existence  of  one  century  and  a  third  of  another  before  Chicago  was  any- 
thing but  a  great  reedy,  miasmatic  marsh  on  the  shore  of  an  inland  sea.  De- 
troit is  well  situated  upon  a  gradual  inclination  rising  from  the  edge  of  the 


242  77//;    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

Detroit  River  at  tlie  rate  of  about  fifty-eight  feet  per  mile ;  its  streets  are 
broad  and  well  ])ave(l,  and  its  avenues  many  of  them  two  hundred  feet  iu 
widtli,  liaudsoniely  embellished  with  shade-trees,  and  ornamented  with  notably 
beautiful  homes.  It  has,  moreover,  a  histoiv  sureharsed  with  romance.  The 
Indians  selected  the  site,  and  built  villaj^fes  thereon.  The  French  found  them 
there  iu  1610.  The  wigwam  homes  of  the  aboi-iginal  inhabitants  were  not  dis- 
turbed when  Fort  Ponchartrain  was  erected,  iu  1701,  emigrants  sent  from  the 
French  Govermnent,  and  a  governor  appointed.  Such  was  the  beginning  of 
Detroit.  Since  then  three  ditterent  sovereigns  have  claimed  its  allegiance  ;  it  has 
twice  been  besieged  by  Indians,  once  caj^tured  in  war,  once  consumed  by  fire 
(in  1805);  and  it  has  been  the  sceiie  of  fifty  I'itched  battles  and  twelve  bloodv 
massacres. 

Chicago,  not  yet  fifty  yeai-s  of  age — a  modem  city  in  the  complete  sense  of 
the  temi — is  built  upon  a  dead  level,  without  variation  of  surface  or  a  natm-al 
picturesque  object  for  many  miles.  Its  site  was  determined  by  the  Chicago 
River,  a  lazy,  uninteresting,  impure,  and  consequential  stream  of  water,  that 
invited  modern  commerce  to  its  bosom,  and  stood  still  while  Lake  Michigan 
danced  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  and  a  city  sprimg  from  a  dozen  log-cabins  into 
a  capital  taking  rank  with  great  capitals,  and  became  so  rich  and  strong  that 
there  was  no  ]iroject  too  bold,  oi'  enterprise  too  great,  for  her  to  imdertake. 
Tired  <>f  tlic  iiuid  and  mai'sh  and  miasma,  she  suddenly  lifted  herself  to  six  or 
eight  feet  of  higher  le\  el.  Large  hotels  were  suspended  in  the  air  while  new 
foundations  were  laid  and  new  basements  built;  dwelling-houses  went  up  with- 
out disconcerting  households,  or  were  rolled  down  brt)ad  avenues,  seeking  new 
sites,  ^vithout  interrupting  the  details  of  domestic  life.  The  bridges  w'ere  found 
inadequate  to  the  demand  for  travel  across  the  river,  which  still  refused  to  run, 
being  neai-ly  on  a  level  w  ith  the  lake ;  thei'efore  highw^ays  w^ere  constructed 
luidei'ueath  the  river-bed.  Finally,  ti»  concjuer  that  same  river  which  so  obsti- 
nately refused  to  discharge  its  waters  into  the  lake,  the  lake  was  turned  into 
the  river,  and  not  only  that,  but  the  lake  and  the  ii\er  together  were  emptied 
into  the  (lulf  of  Mexico!  Through  skillful  engineering  and  the  energy  of  its 
people  Chicago  was  converteil  finally  into  a  perfectly  diy  and  healthy  city ; 
and  a  two-mile  tuimel  was  laid  under  Lake  Michigan,  to  supply  pure  water  to 
its  thirsty  multitudes. 


MODERN  PERIOD.  243 

The  homes  of  Chicacro  were  nearly  all  of  the  stereotjqjed  city  pattern  prior 
to  the  great  tire.  The  unparalleled  gro^vth  of  the  place  invested  the  soil  \^-ith 
a  fabulous  value — hence  the  houses,  as  a  rule,  ran  up  tall  and  slim.  A  few 
wealthy  men  reserved  room  for  comfortable  grounds  about  their  dwellings, 
more  particularly  in  North  Chicago ;  the  home  of  William  B.  Ogden,  the  first 
mayor  of  the  new  city,  stately  and  delightfid,  stood  in  the  center  of  a  block 
bounded  by  four  streets,  and  shaded  with  native  forest-trees.  It  was  the  only 
house  which  escaped  the  conflagration  in  all  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
seven  miles  (longitudinally)  of  ruin  and  desolation  at  the  time  when  more  than 
one  hundred  thousand  persons  were  rendered  homeless.  The  McCagg  home- 
stead, near  that  of  Mr.  Ogden,  \vas  not  saved  even  by  its  grounds,  but  the  fire 
that  converted  it  into  ashes,  and  cleaved  the  bark  and  branches  from  its  trees, 
caused  the  buds  to  blossom  in  the  great  greenhouse,  and  the  next  morning  the 
mass  of  rich,  warm,  bright-colored  flowers  peeped  through  the  unbroken  glass 
upon  the  scene  \A\h  the  eifect  of  an  immense  bouquet.  Michigan  Avenue, 
the  pride  of  Chicago,  was  only  partially  laid  waste.  It  is  an  exceptionally 
wide  avenue,  upon  the  immediate  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  Avith  elegant  man- 
sions upon  one  side  only.  These  have  been  chiefly  constructed  of  white  or 
Athens  marble,  the  finest  building  material  in  the  country,  produced  from 
extensive  quanies  scarcely  twenty  miles  distant.  In  front  of  each  dwelling, 
between  the  broad  sidewalks  and  the  street,  are  little  individual  parks,  where 
flourishing  trees  seem  to  make  a  perpetual  apology  for  the  prairies  in  the  back- 
ground of  the  city,  which,  submerged  with  water  half  the  year,  and  -without 
shrub  or  mountain,  offered  little  promise  of  future  suburbs  at  the  time  the 
projectors  of  Michigan  Avenue,  Anth  liberal  foresight,  supplied  Nature's  defi- 
ciencies. The  growth  of  Chicago  has  been  the  supei'lative  of  all  modern  his- 
toiy.  It  is  not  yet  thirty  years  since  a  wolf  was  seen  running  along  Michigan 
Avenue  in  the  neighborhood  of  Van  Buren  Street,  unconscious,  apparently, 
that  he  had  strayed  far  from  his  native  heath.  And  yet,  in  1871,  a  powerful 
city — Avith  a  trade  reaching  through  San  Francisco  to  China  and  Japan ;  with 
marked  quotations  and  opinions  in  all  American  cities ;  with  prices  of  grain, 
hides,  and  lumber,  in  Europe  ;  and  Avith  personal  as  well  as  commercial  ties 
eveiywhere — was  destroyed  by  a  tempest  of  flame,  and  the  whole  civilized 
world  sorrowed.     It  has  been  rebuilt  on  a  scale  of  great  magnificence.     Genius 


244  THE  nOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

and  iiioiiev  have  t^au^<fl)l•mell  waste  places  into  a  splendid  system  <>f  parks  and 
l)()ulevanls ;  two  of  the  thirteen  or  more  parks  together  embrace  over  thirteen 
hundred  acres  ;  and  the  Ijoulevards  connecting  the  various  parks  make  a  con- 
tinuous and  charming  driveway  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles.  Examples  of 
the  higher  order  of  domestic  architecture  are  upon  every  hand,  and  America 
now  displays  few  more  l)eautiful  mansions  than  those  which  grace  the  limits 
and  \  icinity  of  the  great  capital  of  the  Northwest. 

Handsome  homes  have  long  existed  in  and  about  Milwaukee,  AVisconsin — 
the  high  bluffs,  upon  which  the  eastern  and  western  portions  of  the  city  are 
built,  overlooking  Lake  Michigan,  and  affording  some  of  the  most  charming 
of  sites  for  jirivate  residences.  A  cream-colored  brick  is  used  largely  for  build- 
ina:  material ;  it  is  known  as  Milwaukee  brick.  Shade-trees  are  eveiywhere 
abundant,  and  the  atmosphere  is  remarkably  biacing  and  healthful.  In  tlie 
matter  of  delightful  climate,  however,  St.  Paul,  in  Minnesota,  carries  off'  the 
palm.  This  young  and  enterprising  city  occupies  a  high  jilain  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  about  eighty  feet  above  the  water,  and  is  ]iartially 
encircled  by  low  hills.  It  is  wholly  without  antiquity;  in  liS4t)  icw  white 
inhabitants  only  comprised  its  civilized  population.  But  the  wonderful  ]uiiity 
of  its  rarefied  air  attracted  capitalists  and  others  from  the  East,  and  now  a  large 
and  refined  popidation,  with  all  the  elements  of  home  comfort  and  Ui.xury  at 
their  command,  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  health,  happiness,  and  jirosperity.  The 
city  is  best  known  probably  for  its  enterprise  in  the  mamifacture  of  flour,  a.s  it 
stands  in  the  center  of  the  great  wheat -growing  region  of  the  West,  with  pecu- 
liar facilities  for  this  branch  of  business.  But  it  will  become  essentially  a  city 
of  homes,  because  of  its  healthfulness.  A  gentleman,  who  was  compelled  to 
drive  eveiy  winter  morning  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  across  the  country  just 
out  of  the  city,  said  that,  although  the  temperature  often  ranged  from  twenty 
to  thirty  degrees  below  zero,  seemingly  most  dangerously  cold,  the  atniosiihcrc 
was  so  free  from  moisture  that  he  suffered  very  little  discomfort. 

St.  Louis  differs  as  widely  in  its  inhabitants  and  homes  fi-om  (liieago  as 
Chicago  from  Cincinnati;  and  no  three  great  cities  of  one  nation  ever  afforded 
a  more  striking  contrast  each  to  each.  These  differences  date  back  to  their 
origin.  St.  Louis  wa.s  an  offshoot  of  Louisiana ;  its  earliest  settlere  French. 
\Vlien  it  was  some  four  years  old  it  was  ado[tted  by  the  King  of  Spain,  who 


MODERN  PERIOD.  245 

brought  up  the  youth,  so  to  speak,  and  oomnianded  allegiance  for  thirty-six 
years.  At  the  age  of  forty-five  it  rejoiced  in  its  first  brick  house,  and  all  that 
]iart  of  the  wc^rld  \v'ondered  and  admired.  The  next  important  event  was  the 
arrival  of  a  steamboat.  This  occurred  in  1817.  It  was  the  growth  of  Illinois, 
which  became  rapid  after  1825,  that  finally  gave  St.  Louis  the  impetus  result- 
ing in  magnificent  ^^I'oportions.  The  city  is  elevated  many  feet  above  the  floods 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  is  pi'otected  l)y  a  limestone  bank,  instead  of  the  perpen- 
dicular cliifs  or  the  alluvial  soil  which  usually  forms  this  great  river's  banks.  It 
presents  a  uniipie  appearance,  built  as  it  is  upon  two  tei'races,  one  back  of  the 
other ;  the  first  rising  abruptly  from  the  water  some  twenty  feet,  the  second 
making  a  more  gradual  ascent  from  the  first  of  at  least  forty  feet,  and  spreading 
out  into  a  wide  and  beautiful  plain,  commanding  a  view  of  the  city,  the  river, 
and  the  surrounding  country.  It  has  neither  the  picturesque  mountainous  sites 
for  suburban  residences  for  which  Cincinnati  is  justly  celebrated,  nor  yet  the 
extreme  flatness  of  Chicago's  outskirts ;  but,  slightly  undulating  and  somewhat 
varied  from  a  dead  level,  the  soil  is  admirably  stocked  with  architectural 
achievements  in  the  way  of  dwelling-houses  and  villa  homes ;  and  the  variety 
of  the  old  and  the  new,  the  (piaint  and  the  artistic,  the  antique  and  the  modern, 
is  greater  than  in  any  other  city  of  the  West.  Iowa,  Nebraska,  and  other  nolile 
States  beyond  the  Mississippi,  are  becoming  jieopled  with  incredible  rapidity, 
and  some  of  their  large  towns  and  cities  already  boast  of  many  fine  examples 
of  the  modern  home.  The  ambition  for  improvement  and  more  attention  to 
the  amenities  of  life  will  effect  changes  in  the  mode  of  biiilding  habitations  in 
these  newer  States  during  the  immediate  years  to  come,  and  when  the  good 
points  of  the  ruder  eras  are  seized  and  comliined  with  the  practical  common 
sense  acquired  Ijy  experiments  attending  the  progress  of  settlements,  the  whole 
is  destined  to  be  softened  by  refinement,  and  a  disposition  for  rural  culture 
and  elegance. 

The  upper  and  lower  valleys  of  the  Mississippi  present  as  wide  a  contrast 
in  the  character  of  their  homes  as  the  difference  in  climate  and  jihysical  peculi- 
arities. The  alluvial  plains  of  the  cotton-groAnng  regions  require  a  style  of 
dwelling  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  inhabitants.  Louisiana  was  settled  by 
the  French,  and  among  the  pioneers  were  scions  of  the  best  families  of  France, 
whose  historic  names  are  handed  along,  and  whose  influence  over  domestic 


•246 


THK    HOMES    OF   AMERICA. 


aivliitecture  continues  to  be  felt.  Many  examples  of  the  villa  and  tlic  rhateau 
introduced  in  the  early  ])eriods  may  yet  be  seen,  havin-r  been  reproduced  liy 
later  <renerations.  The  >rrander  of  the  ohl  mansions  alonir  the  Mississipjii  iJiver 
toward  its  mouth  Ikuc  Liradually  disapi)eared  ;  nearly  all   the  modern  structures 


LxiStma.  i>r^ 


hvjjc' 


A     r'lantcr's    Home 


are  surrounded  with  broadly  constructed  verandas  and  balconies.  Othenvise 
they  are  not  strikingly  dissimilar  to  their  predecessors,  cond'oit  and  shade  liavinir 
always  been  sought  more  earnestly  than  out waiil  bcaut\  of  architectural  I'oi'iu. 
The   jilantations  in   the   \  icinity  of   New  ( )rleans  liave   many  of  them   Ix'conie, 


MODERN-  PERIOD.  247 

throiigli  long  years  of  cultivation,  the  center  of  attractive  landscape  sceneiy, 
AvLicli  combines  the  novelty  of  many  exotics  growing  side  by  side  with  the 
best-preserved  specimens  of  the  original  forest.  The  richness  of  the  soil  modi- 
fied 1)y  the  climate  develops  in  the  greatest  perfection  some  of  the  choicest 
tropical  plants.  Orange-trees  may  frequently  be  seen,  three  fourths  of  a  cen- 
tury old,  A\ith  great  gnarled  trunks  and  strong  arms,  still  bearing  in  perfection 
their  luscious  fruit.  Magnificent  banana-trees  display  their  sweeping  leaves  of 
emerald  green,  exciting  your  curiosity  as  to  the  methods  by  which  they  have 
been  made  to  overcome  their  susceptibility  to  cold.  Sugar-cane  flourishes  lux- 
uriantly in  spite  of  its  being  a  tender  and  sensitive  plant,  and  helps  to  beautif}' 
the  scene.  Hedges  of  jasmine  lead  up  to  the  doorways  of  the  planter's  home, 
and  vie  in  fragrance  with  the  flowering  pomegranate  and  night-blooming  cereus, 
while  an  endless  variety  of  the  queenly  family  of  tlie  rose  serves  to  brighten 
human  existence.  Here  the  honey-bee  revels,  and  the  hiunming-bird,  glancing 
in  the  sunlight  as  if  made  of  living  sapphires,  dashes  to  and  fro  with  lightning 
rapidity,  shaking  from  his  tiny  wings  the  golden  pollen.  And  the  mocking-bird, 
the  minstrel  of  the  Southern  landscape,  perches  high  at  tmlight,  like  a  king 
upon  his  throne,  and,  as  the  atmosphere  predisposes  to  lassitude  and  dreamy 
repose,  carols  forth  his  sweet  strains  and  discords  as  if  seeking  human  admiration. 
The  swamps  hovering  near  the  quiet  plantations  possess  a  mysterious  inter- 
est. Just  where  the  cultivated  line  disappeai's,  and  the  natural  swamp  begins, 
will  often  be  found  the  yellow  jasmine  climbing  up  some  blasted  tree  and 
usurping  the  dead  branches  for  its  own  convenience,  half  buiying  the  whole 
under  a  canopy  of  blossoms  which  shed  a  fragrance  palpable  to  the  touch.  The 
tall,  ghostly  cypress  is  a  gentle  reminder  of  the  original  lords  of  the  domain, 
standing  stark  and  stiff  and  amazed  at  the  encroachments  of  civilization.  They 
often  reach  the  height  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  the  base  covered  wdth 
ooze  and  mud ;  and,  looking  upward  as  they  tower  above  you,  the  sensation  is 
similar  to  that  experienced  in  a  well.  The  bark  of  the  tree  is  spongy  and  iibrous, 
and  the  trunk  often  attains  fifty  or  sixty  feet  without  a  branch.  The  foliage,  as 
seen  from  below,  is  soft  like  green  silken  fringe,  and  strangely  beautiful  and 
delicate  as  contrasted  with  the  tree  itself.  The  wood  is  of  such  extraordinary 
durability  that  cypress-trees  which  have  been  buried  a  thousand  years  under 
the  solid  but  always  damp  earth  retain  eveiy  quality  of  the  most  perfect  wood. 


248 


Till-:    HOMES    OF   .\Mi:ni(  A. 


At  the  root  of  the  cy- 
press the  jjaliuelto  nour- 
ishes iu  vigor,  aud  its  deep, 
intensely  green,  spear-like 
foliage  adds  to  the  variety 
of  the  forest  products.  The  flowering 
inngnoliii  of  these  regions  not  infre- 
quently reaches  an  altitude  of  ninety 
feet.  Each  jiarticular  bough  has  spe- 
cial   clijii'acteristics   of    its    own.     The 


'yj'  '.  .■■■ 


w 


A     Home    on    the    Tennessee. 


MODERN  PERIOD.  249 

leaves  are  large  and  crisp,  tlie  surface  exi^osed  to  the  sim  is  of  a  polished 
dark  green.  It  displays  large  imperial  blossoms  of  pure  white,  which  look  like 
great  ivory  eggs  enveloped  in  green  and  brown.  In  juxtaposition  with  the 
live-oaks,  whose  evergreen  foliage  winces  and  sways  by  the  slightest  breeze,  the 
magnolia  stands  stiffly  erect  like  a  beauty  too  full  of  starch  to  bend  ;  and,  when 
its  petals  finally  open,  the  blossom,  a  span  in  diameter,  is  so  fragrant  that  it 
oppresses  the  senses. 

Having  illustrated  the  colonial  home,  and  given  here  and  there  an  example 
of  the  luxurious  modern  dwelling,  we  will  furnish  one  specimen  of  the  habita- 
tion which  is  found  among  the  j^icturesque  mountains  of  Tennessee,  and  which 
for  neatness  and  intelligent  appreciation  of  the  wants  of  a  healthful  and  happy 
existence  is  not  excelled  in  more  pretentious  abodes.  The  situation  is  not  far 
from  Lookout  Mountain,  where  the  northwestern  corner  of  Georgia  and  the 
northeastern  extremity  of  Alabama  meet  on  the  southern  boundary  of  Tennes- 
see. The  little  veranda  overlooking  the  winding  river,  rude  as  it  aj^pears  in 
the  sketch,  is  where  the  inmates  of  the  house  enjoy  the  enchanted  mountains, 
obtaining  each  day  a  new  zest  for  life  from  the  bounteous  freshness  of  nature. 
They  may  not  have  chosen  their  home  in  this  wild  spot  through  romantic  no- 
tions of  sublime  scenery,  but  they  are  unquestionably  influenced  by  it,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  pride  -with  which  they  point  out  the  superb  prospects  of  the  far 
valley,  and  direct  you  to  the  cliffs  and  ravines  and  the  huge  undulations  of  hills 
which  seem  to  come  rolling  in  upon  your  mountain-shore  like  giant  waves. 
Hundreds  of  log-cabins  of  a  simple  character,  a  little  coy,  hiding  away  in  pic- 
turesque nooks,  are  scattered  through  the  region  commanded  by  these  famous 
mountains,  which  embraces  ^vithin  their  scope  territory  of  seven  States — the 
entire  width  of  Tennessee  and  portions  of  Georgia,  Alabama,  Kentucky,  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Virginia.  The  residents  are  a  proud,  intelligent 
class  as  a  mle,  hunters  and  woodmen  I'ather  than  husbandmen,  although  the 
surface  of  the  wild  country  is  susceptible  of  cultivation,  and  will  undoubtedly 
be  converted  into  extensive  fanns  as  the  years  roll  on. 

In  New  Orleans  are  many  mansions  of  great  elegance,  with  ample  grounds 
for  flowers,  fniits,  and  tropical  shrubbery.  These,  like  the  plantation  homes, 
partake  of  the  French  element  of  artistic  beauty.  Not  a  few  of  them  are  con- 
stracted  ^^'ith  a  carriage-way  and  gate  opening  directly  from  the  street  to  an  in- 


•J  50 


THE    JinME!<    OF  A  M  Ell  I  (A. 


/mit-Y 


A    Home    in    Charleston. 


teiior  t'oui-tyanl  by  the  main  Imildiiiir.  In  .some  of  tlie  modern  districts  of  the 
city  the  streets  are  Ijroad  althtmu'li  very  irregular  in  their  directions,  and  pictu- 
resque effects  are  secured  for  the  dwelliug-phice  wliich  are  altogether  indescrib- 
able.    New  Oi-leans  extends  along  the  easteni  banks  ..f  the  ]Mississi]iiii  as  far 


MODERN  PERIOD.  251 

as  the  eye  can  I'eaoli,  protected  by  the  levee  system  from  iuiiudation.  The 
river  here  is  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width,  and  the  tide  regularly  ebbs  and  flows, 
modifying  somewhat  the  sweep  of  the  downward  current,  not^dthstaudiug  that 
the  distance  is  over  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  western 
shore  is  dotted  with  villages  and  highly  cidtivated  farms.  The  site  of  New 
Orleans  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  available  high  land  encountered  by  its 
founder,  Bienville,  Governor  of  Louisiana,  while  ascending  the  Mississij)pi  in 
1718.  Four  years  later  Charlevoix  visited  the  French  settlement,  and  was 
much  disconcerted  at  being  invated  to  lodge  imder  a  tent.  He  spoke,  however, 
of  it  as  "the  famous  town  which  had  been  named  New  Orleans,"  and  pre- 
dicted that  it  would  "  some  day  become  an  opulent  city,  and  the  metropolis  of 
a  great  and  rich  colony."  During  the  remainder  of  the  eighteenth  century  it 
was  considered,  as  one  'writer  forcibly  expressed  himself,  "  an  enchanting  place 
of  abode."  De  Lozieres,  the  French  traveler,  said,  "  The  air  of  New  Oi-leans 
is  so  wholesome,  the  earth  so  fruitful,  and  the  location  so  delightfid,  that  we 
might  fancy  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  flower-garden."  Apart  from  the  rav- 
ages of  the  yellow  fever  from  time  to  time,  so  appalling  to  mankind,  it  is  an 
established  fact  that  the  healthfulness  of  New  Orleans  is  not  sui-jiassed  by  that 
of  any  large  city. 

The  noble  private  mansions  of  the  olden  time  which  remain  in  the  city  of 
Charleston  are  so  embowered  with  their  beautiful  gardens  that  only  glimpses 
are  obtained  of  their  somber  stateliness.  One  of  the  most  notable  peculiarities 
is  the  tier  of  open  verandas,  as  daintily  shown  in  the  opposite  illustration.  The 
entrance  to  the  buildina;  is  in  the  lower  of  these.  A  hig^h  brick  \vall,  after  the 
English  fashion,  usually  incloses  the  grounds  of  the  house,  and  it  is  only 
through  an  open  gateway  that  the  stranger  catches  a  glimpse  of  flowers,  and 
shrubs,  and  vines  that  bloom  and  expand  within  the  lovely  Eden.  And  the 
rich  dark  green  of  the  magnolia  half  screens  the  unsmoothed  biick  walls  far 
above,  and  seems  to  hold  the  stimcture  secure  in  the  hush  of  seclusion  and  re- 
pose. When  Charleston  was  in  the  height  of  its  glory,  the  dwelling-place  of  a 
wealthy  aristocracy,  it  was  the  center  of  a  far-extending  circle  of  brilliant 
homes,  and  the  walls  of  its  stately  mansions  echoed  the  voices  of  famous  states- 
men, of  men  of  letters,  and  of  beautiful  women.  Elkanah  Watson,  who  was 
sent  to  Charleston  and  other  So^^thern  ports  in  1777,  with  fifty  thousand  dol- 


252  THE    rrOMES     OF   AMERTCA. 

lars  to  1h'  invested  f<>i-  the  Eurojiean  markets,  traveliii;;  the  wliole  <Hstaiice  from 
Rliode  Island  in  a  chaise,  was  so  much  surpiised  at  the  costliness  and  elegance 
of  life  in  Charleston  that  he  spt)ke  of  the  way  in  Avhidi  the  citizens  lived  as 
"almost  Asiatic  s])len<h»i-."  Riches  and  leisure  led  naturally  t<)  luxurious  tastes 
anil  habits;  and  Charleston  wjis  wheie  a  host  of  worthies  were  pioduced — as, 
for  instance,  Pinckney,  Rutledge,  and  Gadsden,  and  the  ripe  scholar,  \\\v^\\ 
Swintou  Legare.  Rarely  any  comnuinity  of  the  same  size  in  America  has<^iven 
to  the  world  more  men  of  distinguished  merit.  The  tine  plantations  on  the 
Cooper  and  the  Ashley  were  the  seat  of  a  generous  hospitality  in  tli<'  palinv 
days.  The  gentry  were  sutHciently  o])ulent  to  maintain  homes  in  the  city  also, 
whither  they  resorted  to  educate  their  children,  and  in  midsummer  to  enjov  the 
sea.  In  various  directions  from  Charleston,  suburlian  homes  huilt  of  Itrick 
and  wood,  the  rooms  wainscoted  from  floor  to  ceiling,  the  iire])laces  tiled,  the 
mantels  richly  carved,  imported  marble  colunnis,  and  a  thousand  other  ele- 
gances, stand  in  the  center  of  grounds  of  a  park-like  character,  where  fountains 
play  and  troj)ical  flowers  and  fruits  thrive  in  the  lazy  sunshine.  The  edifice 
itself  may  l)e  neither  veiy  large  nor  very  magnificent,  l)ut  its  amj)le  j>iazzas  and 
verandas,  its  comfort,  coolness,  and  shade,  and  its  rai'e  exotics  and  liner  fruits, 
impart  a  rich  tropical  character  to  the  aspect  of  the  abode.  The  main  avenue 
leading  out  of  Charleston  is  one  of  singular  beauty.  It  plunges  apparently 
into  a  gieen  wilderness,  and  for  a  long  distance  is  canoi)ied  by  the  boughs  of 
pines  and  oaks  and  magnolias  with  peculiar  effect,  the  (hvellings  being  gener- 
ally isolated,  and  hidden  from  the  liighway  in  the  midst  of  their  extensive 
gi'ouiids.  The  city  <if  Charleston  lies  low,  and  there  is  no  impression  derived 
from  its  modest  streets  and  apparently  commonj)lace  architecture  of  its  hid- 
den charms.  It  ha.s  not  one  splendid  avenue  nor  a  jniblic  park  of  any  })reten- 
sion.  But  its  social  triuiiiplis  are  well  known,  its  l)rilliant  past  rememl)ered, 
and  statesmen  and  scholars  will  yet  burnish  anew  its  choice  homes,  and  per- 
petuate their  renown. 

'i'lie  homes  of  Florida  are  in  a  transition  state.  The  North  and  the  West 
and  the  countries  beyond  the  sea  have  poured  their  sick  into  this  famous  State 
to  seek  for  health.  People  have  left  homes  elsewhere,  expecting  to  light  upon 
"one  vast  flowei--garden  or  orange-grove  l)y  nature,"  a  sort  of  ]ii(>niis<(l  land. 
where  they  may  dwell  in  peace  and  plenty.      When  tliey  find  the  loveliness  but 


MODERN  PERIOD.  253 

a  wilderness,  aud  the  garden  and  the  grove  realities  only  as  they  make  them 
so,  they  not  infrequently  tiu-n  to  other  and  more  finished  fields.  Florida  has 
had  the  misfoi-time  to  be  tossed  about  from  one  nation  to  another  like  a  foot- 
ball. Permanent  homes  could  not  be  established  prior  to  1821.  All  along  the 
beautiful  rivers  relics  and  ruins  of  homes  embowered  among  the  orange-groves, 
and  made  pleasant  by  the  fragrant  l)lossoms  of  the  honeysiickle,  the  rose,  and 
the  acacia,  cast  in  a  land  Avhere  Nature  has  lavished  her  choicest  beauties  and 
created  a  perpetual  summer,  may  be  found  at  almost  every  settlement.  In 
1765  the  father  of  Lord  RoUe,  of  England,  was  granted  forty  thousand  acres 
in  Florida  ))y  the  King  of  England  ;  he  transported  one  hundred  families  to 
the  St.  Jt)lm's  River,  and  settled  about  three  miles  above  Palatka,  nearly  up  to 
Dennis  Lake.  He  built  a  lordly  mansion  for  himself  and  houses  for  the  people 
he  brought  with  him,  and  began  the  cultivation  of  corn,  cotton,  and  indigo  on 
a  liberal  scale.  He  called  Florida  a"  happy  province,'"  and  wrote  to  George  HL 
that  he  could  cultivate  the  productions  of  the  whole  world.  Everything  indi- 
cated the  most  unbounded  prosperity.  But  the  troublous  times  began.  The 
Spaniards  obtained  possession  of  Florida ;  then  it  was  snatched  from  their  grasp 
by  the  strong  arm  of  England  again.  After  that  the  Indians  became  aggressive. 
All  at  once  the  Spanish  army  were  once  more  victorious,  and  gave  the  English 
people  notice  that  they  must  accept  Spanish  rule  and  the  Catholic  faith  or 
leave  the  country.  Thus  the  unfortunate  residents  abandoned  the  homes  they 
had  made  for  themselves.  Between  that  period  and  sixty  years  ago  Florida 
changed  rulers  many  times ;  it  was  ceded  by  the  English  to  Spain  in  part,  from 
Sjiaiu  again  to  English  rule,  then  in  part  to  France,  and  back  once  more  to 
Spain. 

Thus  this  strangely  beautiful  country  has  been  a  bone  of  contention  until 
^A-ithin  comparatively  a  few  years.  The  French  coveted  it  for  its  j^rofusion  of 
fruits  aud  flowers,  sweet  singing-birds,  and  balmy  air — the  promise  of  per- 
petual ease  and  enjoyment.  The  Spanish  wanted  it,  hoping  with  arrogant  and 
despotic  power  to  wring  fi-om  the  toil  of  the  natives,  through  merciless  task- 
masters, fabulous  wealth,  which  they  imagined  was  hid  in  its  bosom.  The 
English  desired  it  for  its  rich  productions  which  would  be  the  source  of  great 
wealth  through  well-directed  labor  and  suitable  cultivation.  Yet  neither  nation 
held  the  fair  country  long  enough  to  enjoy  the  results  of  their  efforts.     And 


254 


rilE    irO^fES    OF   AMERlrA. 


tM^S'^m 


A     Home    in     Floridn 


MODERN  PERIOD.  255 

although  the  stiife  and  misrale  made  Florida  rich  in  ^vild  and  fanciful  lore,  it 
is  only  in  recent  times  that  homes,  and  towns,  and  villages,  as  lovely  as  any 
New  England  can  boast,  have  become  possible,  founded  upon  a  secure  and  per- 
manent basis.  The  houses  of  St.  Augustine  are  largely  built  of  coquiua,  and 
in  the  Spanish  style ;  although  there  are  some  fine  homes  which  are  purely 
American.  A  profusion  of  tropical  plants,  and  shrubs,  and  trees  ornament 
theii-  grounds.  The  orange  flourishes,  and  also  the  fig,  the  date,  the  palm, 
the  banana,  the  lime,  the  lemon,  the  olive,  the  pomegranate,  the  grape,  the 
peach,  the  citron,  and  the  melon. 

The  example,  which  more  specially  illustrates  a  garden-scene  in  St.  Au- 
gustine, is  a  characteristic  specimen  of  the  better  class  of  dwelling.  No  home 
in  Florida  ^\'ould  be  a  home  without  garden-appointments.  One  glance  at 
the  sketch,  where  the  splendid  specimen  of  the  date-palm  is  flanked  on  one 
side  by  a  fig-  and  on  the  other  by  a  lemon-tree,  and  the  banana  peeps  forth 
with  its  pendent  clusters  of  fruit,  and  the  singularly  luxuriant  cactus  pushes 
for  notice,  opens  a  volume  of  suggestive  possibilities ;  and,  when  Mrs.  Stowe 
tells  us  that  homesteads  may  be  bought  for  a  mere  song,  we  wonder  that 
homes  are  not  planted  with  more  earnestness  and  industry  in  a  State  of  such 
unlimited  resources.  The  susceptibility  of  the  soil  to  culture  and  improvement 
has  caused  many  a  pretty  settlement  to  spring  up  around  the  beautiful  inland 
lakes  and  along  the  banks  of  the  rivers,  and  one  of  the  elements  of  comfort 
which  every  landholder  observes  in  the  beginning  is  the  making  of  a  garden 
and  the  planting  of  orange-groves.  Unlike  the  seashore  and  the  mountains  of 
the  North,  the  scenery  of  Florida  is  greatest  in  its  little  things.  Fi-om  plains 
covered  with  palmetto,  past  forests  of  melancholy  depths  screened  by  di-oopiuo- 
moss,  one  may  float  along  the  smooth  rivers  through  beds  of  water-lilies  and 
under  great  trees  which  almost  shut  the  heavens  from  view.  The  cheerfid  life 
and  health  of  the  wilds  of  the  West  are  not  in  these  balmy  solitudes ;  and 
the  bending  ferns  and  the  flowering  vines  vainly  endeavor  in  their  solemn 
stillness  to  make  amends  for  the  hum  of  industry  and  the  ocean's  roar. 

America  is  so  vast  in  extent  that  our  subject  is  necessarily  inexhaustible. 
However  much  domestic  architecture  may  repeat  itself  in  different  localities, 
the  diversity  uf  examples  multiplies  on  every  hand.     We  have  not  illustrated 


25(i  THE    HOMES    OF  AMERICA. 

the  city  house,  because  from  the  very  nature  of  its  situation  on  a  fixed  street- 
line,  ami  the  conventionality  and  sameness  of  plan,  a  check  is  placed  upon 
lil)erty  i>f  desi«,'ii,  and  the  architect,  however  much  of  an  artist,  can  only  dis- 
play his  originality  in  elaborating  the  facade.  Our  aim  has  l)een  cliiefly  to 
show  that  domestic  architecture  as  an  art  is  eminently  progressive  in  America; 
that  its  manifest  destiii}'  is  to  triumjdi  over  obstacles,  and  strike  the  j)erfect 
balance  between  a  beautiful  idea  and  the  material  fonii  in  \vhich  it  is  conveyed 
to  the  eye ;  that  force  of  expression  springing  from  strength  of  character  in 
the  inhabitant  leads  to  the  highest  degree  of  symmetry  between  the  dwelling 
and  its  surroundings,  as  well  as  to  dignity  of  detail  and  permanent  elegance  in 
the  building  itself ;  and  that  with  its  historical  and  its  pei"sonal  associations  it 
becomes  a  monumental  language  as  impressive  as  it  is  suggestive  anil  singularly 
interesting.  While  almost  eveiy  prominent  geographical  point  in  the  countiy 
embraces  much  that  is  artistic  and  picturesque  in  private  residence,  and  the 
limits  of  this  volume  have  admitted  of  onlj'  occasional  examples,  yet  we  have 
introduced  enough  to  furnish  food  for  thoughtful  consideration.  In  connection 
with  the  dwellings  of  illustrious  statesmen,  men  of  lettei-s,  and  poets,  authoi-s, 
and  artists,  our  purjiose  has  been  to  contribute  the  greatest  amount  of  agree- 
al)le  and  authentic  information  in  the  fewest  possible  words,  bearing  ever  in 
mind  the  lover  of  the  historical,  the  pei-sonal,  and  the  descriptive.  Thus  the 
pencil  and  the  ]ien  are  together  made  to  serve  a  double  mission,  and  the  result 
is  comprehended  under  the  general  title  i>f  "  The  Homes  of  America." 


T  u  i:     V.  N  D . 


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